If You Only Knew
by ChiTwiGal
Summary: Bella is a small town girl living in the big city. She will face life changing decisions. Will she choose wisely? If she chooses wrong, will she still be able to find love, happiness and peace? Yes, No, Maybe? A/H
1. Chapter 1 Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters... they all belong to Ms. Meyers..the plot of the story is mine and mine alone. If you are found copying or claiming ownership trust me you will be found out :) **

**A/N: Welcome to my first FF story. Please be gentle since I am as far away from a author as you can get. I need to thank the NJNYTwigals especially Pauline for forcing me to do this. Let's see if it turns out as she has expected it to... I would also like to thank my prereaders TG10781, NJNYTwigals - Holly & Basketgirl for letting me know where I have fallen short. Finally, this story would never be out here without my beta Momakal she has had to deal with me butchering the english language. Many hugs and kisses to all of them. I'm posting today in honor of the Eclipse release which I am happy to say I've seen twice including in IMAX!**

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**_Have you ever been in one of those states where you're looking out a window wondering?_**

**_Where you are?_**

**_How you got there?_**

**_That's where I am today…_**

**_Wondering about the why's,_**

**_the where's,_**

**_the how's._**

**_Will the feelings ever change?_**

**_Will I ever be whole again?_**

**_Is this a dream or is it really happening to me?_**

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**Chapter 1-The Beginning**

There I was again, squinting as the bright sunrise snaked through the tall buildings of the city. I tended to do this while daydreaming when looking out the window when there were lulls in the mornings at work. I heard a voice in the distance.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?"

Rose had just arrived at Uncommon Ground wanting her morning latte. I shook my head to try to snap out of the daze I was in. "Yeah, I'm here. Just thinking…."

"What about?" She asked inquisitively.

I paused before answering, as I wasn't really sure if I wanted to tell her.

"Is it him again?" she whispered, not wanting him to hear.

"No" I almost shouted and rolled my eyes. Rose knew how to get me rattled.

Rose and I met and became friends seven years ago when we were assigned as roommates for our freshman year in college. We were quite the odd pair; she came from a well to do family from the North Shore of Chicago, and I was a farm girl from central Illinois. I was the first one in my family to go to college, and just being there made my dad proud. When we first met I was anxious that she wouldn't like me and that I wouldn't fit in with her world. Rose was great though, from the first second we just clicked…almost like we were sisters. Without her, I would have never been able to survive the last seven years. Being that I was raised on a farm, I was naive and not really prepared for the real world out there. We've remained roommates and best friends since that first day.

She provides me more than friendship, but also financial support. Her family is well-to-do and doesn't mind helping me out with general living expenses. We have a great condo in Lakeview, which looks out over Lake Michigan and Montrose Harbor. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be able to afford to live here on what I make, working at Uncommon Ground as a waitress/barista and at the Art Institute of Chicago as a tour guide. She was, and will forever be, a great friend. Why then would it be so hard for me to talk to her about what was on my mind? What was I afraid of? She had always been supportive of me in anything I wanted to try to accomplish. Rose was beautiful with her long flowing blonde hair, her expressive blue eyes and that outgoing personality. She knew everyone and people were just drawn to her.

"Sorry," I finally said after I saw the look of sadness on Rose's face, "Let's just talk about it later. I don't want you to be late for work."

"Great! Don't forget you're booked this weekend. It's your birthday and we're celebrating!" I saw her grin widen.

I felt my face get hot as I assumed a huge blush had just come across my face. I then noticed that one of our regular customers sitting along the window had smiled at what she said.

He was the guy she was referring to when she asked me her initial question. He had started stopping in the shop a few weeks ago. I noticed him immediately the first day, as he was the most strikingly handsome man I had ever seen. His hair was nicely cut, but somewhat in disarray; not short but not long either. It was a beautiful color of brown, like a chestnut, and you could see hues of red and blonde when the sun was shining through the window from behind him. He was always dressed perfectly no matter what he wore, whether it was a suit or he was just in something casual. You could just tell he took a lot of pride in how he looked. I assumed he probably worked out to make sure his body looked great in everything he wore, because he sure did. His eyes were dark green, like emeralds with flecks of gold around the edges. Every time I saw them they captivated me, and I felt an uncontrollable pull for me to find some meaning in them. The features on his face were well defined, but not in a harsh way… in fact, they looked very soft and inviting. Oh, and when he smiled the room would light up from it. Yeah, I guess you could say I was infatuated with him and who he was, but I also knew he wouldn't be interested in someone like me. I was rather plain, having grown up on a farm with no real sense of style. I really didn't know much about fashion, at least that is what my friend Alice would say. My idea of dressing up was to put on a newer pair of jeans, a simple shirt or sweater, and not wear gym shoes. Actually I was lucky that the Art Institute provided me a uniform to wear while at work.

After my morning shift was over at Uncommon Ground, I headed back to my condo to change. Today was one of those days where I had to work both of my part-time jobs. Yes, I had been out of college for over three years and still didn't know what I wanted to do. Sure I had a degree in business, accounting to be specific, but that really didn't interest me much. I went down that path to please my dad, Charlie. He wanted to make sure that if I was investing my time in school that I would come out with a degree that could keep me comfortable until I got married. The problem was I had always been a dreamer while I was growing up, and my love life was non-existent. I loved the farm but not in the traditional sense. I loved to discover the beauty in things in the country with my camera. Taking pictures was my outlet. That's why I decided to get a minor in art appreciation, and chose to take a part-time job at the Art Institute when I graduated. The time I spent there was only surpassed by the time I spent exploring the city and taking photographs of everything that I found beautiful and exciting. I hoped to one day be able to have a show of some of my photographs.

When I was done working and arrived home from a rather hectic day, all I wanted to do was take a nice long bath while enjoying a glass of wine, and then spend the rest of the night relaxing while listening to my iPod so that I did not have to think about tomorrow. Just as I was about to pour a glass, I heard the front door open.

"Hey girlfriend, it's me. Is Rose home yet?" I heard Alice say…

Alice was number three in "Charlie's Angels", as we liked to call ourselves. _Of course that was in honor of my father whom Alice and Rose just adored._ Alice and I were about the same height, five-foot two, but other than that we were different in every way imaginable. She had spiky black hair, while mine was long with waves and a mousy brown color. I had the palest skin, while Alice's was of a light tone of ivory, and flawless. When it came to style and grace, the only one I knew who could rival Alice was Rose. I was sorely lacking in both of those areas.

"Hey Alice, she isn't here and I'm not sure when she'll be home. It's Friday night, so she probably headed out to Casey Moran's or some other bar in the neighborhood to grab a drink with one of her many admirers. Why are you here?"

"You know it's a special weekend and Rose and I wanted to make sure that you were all ready for the adventure we're taking you on."

Oh, no… what does she mean by adventure? Are we going somewhere? I know it's my birthday, but I just wanted it to be low key. I really don't like to be the center of attention and they both know that, or at least I thought they did.

"Bella, why do you have that scared look on your face?" concern evident in her eyes.

"It's your birthday weekend and you only turn twenty five once you know!"

"I know you guys want to make the day special, but you know how I don't like the attention and that I really don't like to celebrate my birthday."

"It's your birthday Bella; everyone likes to celebrate their birthday."

All I can think about is how I can get Alice out of here so that I can enjoy my bath and wine, before curling up with a good book before all hell breaks loose tomorrow with the plans that they have in store for me.

"Hey Al, I know you and Rose have something great planned for tomorrow and I'm more than willing to let you guys go all out, but if you don't mind I would just like to have tonight to myself. Please…" I begged.

In typical Alice style, she gave me little puppy dog eyes to show her disappointment.

"Ok Bella, I guess since Rose isn't home everything can wait until tomorrow. I was just hoping that we could have started tonight, but since your birthday isn't until tomorrow I guess I'll just have to wait."

"Thanks Al, you're a great friend and I appreciate all the hard work you're putting in to trying to make tomorrow special. I promise that I'll keep an open mind and enjoy myself." I was really trying to convince myself that tomorrow couldn't be that bad.

After some chit-chat, Alice finally left. I went to the kitchen to top off my wine and then went into the bathroom to fill the tub. About five minutes later the tub was full and loaded with bubbles that smelled like lavender from my favorite bubble bath. I had my book, my wine and I was so ready to enjoy some peace and quiet before tomorrow, which I knew was going to be one roller coaster of a day.

The problem was the more I tried to relax, the more I started thinking about my life. What had I really accomplished in the years since college? What did I really want to do with my life? Where would I be in five years? Most importantly, would I ever find love?

**~o0o~**

**Thank you for reading. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought...and all those that do will be rewarded with a teaser!**

**I am planning on posting weekly on Thursdays. **

**Check out my Author page to find out how to follow me on Twitter, facebook and other forms of social media.**

**Thanks again... as you don't know how much it means to me that you took the time out to read this. :)**


	2. Chapter 2 Birthday Surprises

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight that belongs to Stephenie Meyers...I wish I did though because I spent a small fortune during the FGB auction. But it was well worth it even if I have to get a 2nd job and can't go see Eclipse for the 6th time.**

**A/N: Seriously though...thanks to all who participated and raised an amazing amount money for a well deserving cause. It just amazes me what the Fandom does and we should all be proud to be a part of it. **

**Thanks to all of you for reviewing me, putting me and my story on alert...and a special thanks goes out to those who were kind enough to put it on your favorites list. I am humbled by the great reception this little ditty of mine has gotten so far. I sure hope I can live up to all the expectations...I will do my best to keep you interested and with me though this journey.**

**Huge hugs and kisses go out to my prereaders NJNYTwiGal-H, basketgirl and tg10781...without you this story would not make sense and I wouldn't have had anyone to pimp my first chapter...you guys mean the world to me.**

**Mommakal there are no words that will convey what you mean to me and this story without your beta skills this chapter would have never been readable. I am for ever indebted to you :)**

**So without further delay...**

**~o0o~**

Chapter 2 – Birthday Surprises

Seeing a bright light and hearing a loud crash was not the turn of events I expected my dream, or should I say nightmare, to take. All night long I was struggling to find something peaceful to dream about, but instead I was dreaming about a lonely old lady who owned two dozen cats living in a one bedroom apartment. Those visuals were not something that would allow me to have the restful night of sleep that I desperately needed if I was going to fully enjoy the day that was awaiting me.

"Sorry Bella, but if your room wasn't such a disaster I would have been able to wake you up with just letting the sun shine in, but instead I ended up tripping and almost breaking my neck," Alice complained. I knew she was trying to hold back her irritation because it was my birthday.

"What time is it and why are you waking me up? You know how rare it is that I get to sleep in on a Saturday morning with my work schedule," I practically yelled.

"Bella, it's your birthday and since you wouldn't let me start last night, we have to get up and get going if we want to be ready in time for your first surprise!"

"What _time_is it Alice and _where_ is Rose?" I screamed, while still refusing to open my eyes.

"It's 7:30," she stated in almost a whisper. She knew I was angry and that this wasn't the way neither she nor I wanted my day to start out.

"Ugh! I can't believe you did this, but since I'm awake I guess I could get up," I said, clearly frustrated. Just as my eyes were adjusting to the bright sunlight streaming in through the window of the condo, I heard the front door open.

Rose's low voice filtered through the condo. "Alice where are you? Did you wait for me before waking her up?"

"No. She didn't." I yelled to her.

The next thing I saw was Rose stepping into my bedroom with a sorry look on her face. She was holding out a bag with what I assumed was a peace offering.

"Alice, I thought _we_ agreed to serve Bella her favorite breakfast in bed this morning?"

"Sorry Rose, I just couldn't wait. There's so much to do and she needed to be awake to be able to eat breakfast, right?"

In typical fashion, Rose just rolled her eyes and grabbed Alice by the hand. She gestured to me to wait a moment before they walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, they were back with my breakfast tray in hand. "What's all this?" I asked while they were bringing the tray over to me.

"It's all your favorites, and something extra just to make the day a little more special," Rose said with a smile.

Once the tray was placed down, my eyes couldn't believe the breakfast before me. First, there was what looked like to be a mimosa garnished with a strawberry in a beautiful champagne flute. _Champagne for breakfast…I've never had that before._Then I saw the large bowl of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries that had to have come from Whole Foods Market. Next to them there was a small bowl filled with Fresh whipped cream; something that I loved, but seldom treated myself to because of the calories. Off to the right was an extra large mocha from Uncommon Ground, and finally, sitting in the center of the tray on a plate was the best breakfast sandwich made anywhere. It was a Dinkel's veggie burglaur with Asiago and Cheddar cheese along with eggs and broccoli. _Yum_!

"Thanks, you guys. This looks absolutely delicious. I hope you don't expect me to share any of it." I stated with a wink so that they would know it was in jest, as there was no way I was going to be able to eat it all by myself.

"Sorry again Bella for this not actually going as planned, but you know how Alice gets when she's excited about something."

"Yeah, she's like a kid on Christmas morning digging into the gifts before anyone else is awake."

"Hey, why are you picking on me? It's just that I'm excited for you and your big day," Alice declared in frustration as she began to pout.

"Sorry Al, it's just that I didn't sleep well last night and really wanted to be well rested for today." I gave her my puppy dog eyes. "Now both of you get over here so that I can give you a hug, and then you can help me eat all this food. Just don't touch the mocha, as that is something I am not willing to share any day of the year."

After a quick hug and a kiss, Rose and Alice went to the kitchen to grab some coffee and extra silverware before heading back to my room where we all sat on the bed and ate breakfast together.

About an hour later once we were all stuffed and had finished our coffees, Alice decided it was time to get moving because we had somewhere we needed to be by eleven.

"Where are we going Alice?" All I got was a shrug of her shoulders.

Rose decided to intercede. "Bella, you know she'll only tell you what you need to know, and the rest you'll just have to wait to find out."

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath, knowing that a shower would help. I resolved myself to the fact that this was just how the day was going to be and that I better just get over it and try to enjoy myself.

Just before stepping into the shower I stated, "Let me know what I should wear so that I'm dressed appropriately." I was trying to appease Alice's fashion sense.

The excitement in Alice's voice was palpable, "Don't worry; it's all been taken care of. Just get in the shower and get cleaned up and leave the rest to me."

**~o0o~**

By the time we were leaving the apartment I was dressed in a jean skirt, red low-heeled sandals, a royal blue polo shirt that I thought fit too snuggly, but Rose said it showed off my best assets. She even winked at me when she said it. Just before we walked out of the condo the finishing touch was put in place, a sparkly tiara placed on the top of my head. At least Alice let me pull my hair back into a pony tail and didn't make me wear my hair all teased out so that I didn't really look like some reject from the Miss America pageant.

When we arrived at the door to leave my building, Ben, the doorman, took one look at me and stated enthusiastically, "Must be a special day for someone, with wearing that beautiful tiara and all… Have a Happy Birthday Bella!" In typical fashion, I felt my face get hot from the blush that was quickly appearing and lowered my eyes to the ground.

"Thanks Ben," I said quietly, just before we walked out the door.

The day outside was perfect. The sun was shining, the temperature around 80 degrees, and there was a slight breeze coming off the lake. The next thing I knew, I was being flanked by my two best friends. Their arms were linked with mine and we were heading west bound, down Waveland Avenue. I still wasn't sure where we were going but I knew the Cubs were in town that day and was hoping maybe one of them were able to score some tickets.

Even though it was two hours before the game the area around the ballpark was already bustling with people going to the bars for a pre-game eats and drinks. Others were on their way into the bleachers to get to their seats. Batting practice was taking place and they wanted to get the best seats before they were taken. I felt the expression of my face go from one of excitement to sadness as we passed by the entrance to Wrigley Field and ended up at Casey Moran's across the street instead. I guess we weren't going to the game, but we were going to watch it at one of our regular hang outs. Once the bouncer checked our IDs and flirted with Rose, we headed to the upstairs terrace. The place was packed with people who were grabbing a quick beer or two before the game. It was so crowded; I didn't think we were going to be able to find a place to sit. Much to my surprise, when we got up top, the best table in the house had a reserved sign on it. Rose went over and sat down.

"Rose, are you sure we should be sitting here? It says it's reserved and on game days that means it's for someone important."

Rose just rolled her eyes at me. "Sit your ass down girl, it is for someone important. You! What do you think I was doing here last night…searching for the next guy I was going to conquer?"

I heard Alice chuckle, as we all know that Rose can get whomever she wants whenever she wants. She's mostly a tease and doesn't nearly live up to the reputation she has. I know she hangs out here because of the owner. She thinks he's a cutie and knows he's more successful than he lets on. According to Rose, he owns a number of bars and clubs throughout the city.

Just as we were getting settled and I was trying to figure out what I was going to have to drink, a massive, hot-looking guy came over to the table. He had to be over six feet tall, had short, dark, curly hair and the most beautiful sparkly blue eyes. His smile was welcoming and inviting, like a teddy bear, and his mannerisms were like that of a fun loving child. "So who's the birthday girl here?" he bellowed while looking directly at me. That damn tiara was dead giveaway, and I suddenly realized why Alice had me wearing it.

Rose and Alice quickly raised their hands and pointed directly at me. The next thing I knew, I was being lifted out of my chair into a huge bear hug by this guy, whose name I didn't even know.

"Hey Emmett, be careful with her. We're just getting started, and I don't think a trip to the hospital is something Bella wants to do on her birthday. She spends enough time there already." Rose said with a laugh.

Rose was right. They knew me well at the local emergency room because I was constantly tripping over my own two feet. Basically I was just a klutz, and had come to accept that as one of my charming qualities.

"Sorry Rose, I couldn't resist it. The look she was giving me just made me think she might need a hug to get through the day. So, what will it be girls? The drinks are on me today." He replied apologetically to us.

My eyes practically bugged out of my head. Why would someone I didn't even know be willing to buy us drinks all day? Oh yeah, I was with Rose. By the way he was looking her over, I could tell that he was doing it for her, and Alice and I were just reaping the benefits.

"Since it's before noon, I think I'll have a Bloody Mary," Rose said in a seductive tone while blatantly flirting with Emmett.

Alice and I decided to just order Black and Tans to start the day off. Emmett was off in a flash and was back before we knew it with our drinks. Following right behind him were two servers dressed in bustiers and short-shorts; carrying two trays full of food. _I guess they dress that way for the male clientele._

Before we were able to comprehend what was happening Emmett pulled up a chair next to Rosalie while the waitresses were putting down all the food. "I wasn't sure if you guys were hungry or what you would want, so I just got you one of everything. I hope you don't mind." I could tell by the look on his face, Emmett had caught what I referred to as Rosalie Fever.

I decided it was my place to make sure he felt appreciated. "Thanks Emmett. This is very generous of you, but you really didn't need to do this for us."

"It's not a big deal Bella. You only turn twenty-five once in life. It should be a memorable day and I'm just glad I can be a part of it."

Was this guy for real? I've never met him before and he wants to make my day one to remember? Why? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, he has Rosalie Fever.

"Thanks," I said again, and then asked him if we could get someone to take a picture of the four of us. I always had my camera with me and figured if I was suppose to have a memorable day, what better way than to have picture to remember it by.

After about fifteen minutes and finally getting a picture that Rose thought we all looked good in, Emmett excused himself and said he would check back with us later. After he left, we settled back to enjoy the weather, food and drink.

An hour later, Emmett reappeared with a mischievous smile gracing his face. He looked like a kid who had just put his hand in a cookie jar and got away with it.

"So, how's everything going so far birthday girl?" He winked at me.

"Great so far. It's a beautiful day and I'm with my friends, enjoying their company while having great food and drink given to us by one hell of a guy." I had a huge smile on my face. It truly has been one of the best birthdays I've had so far.

"Well I'm glad to hear that, but if we don't get out of here we're going to be late."

What could he mean by that? Who did he mean when he said 'we'? Where were we going?

All of a sudden Emmett was pulling me out of my chair, and Alice and Rose were following. Emmett put his arm around my waist and didn't let go of me until we all were safely outside and standing on Clark Street.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked.

"You'll see," Alice said, as she gave me her evil looking grin.

We started walking south, and then crossed the street at Addison. It looked like we were going to go to the game, but I didn't get my hopes up thinking they were going to try to psyche me out.

Once we got closer to the entrance, Emmett pulled something from his pocket. Emmett then started waving four tickets in front of my face. "I hope you like the Cubs Bella." Somehow I think he knew that since it was more of a statement than a question, and he had a huge grin on his face

"I LOVE THE CUBS!" I immediately tried to wrap my arms around him to give him a hug, but I was so tiny compared to him, it didn't really work. I owed Rosalie and Alice big time on this one… I'm not sure what they had to do to pull this off, but whatever it was, I was going to be indebted to them for a least the next year.

We walked in just as the National Anthem was being played. I couldn't believe that I was here. I remembered the smells, the sounds, and how the field and ivy seemed like a little oasis in the bustling city. The few times I had been here in the past were with my dad, when we would make the trek up from the farm. It was during those times that I fell in love with the city, and I knew that one day I would live here.

Emmett led the way, and when we got to the usher he addressed Emmett by name and stated his friends were already in their seats. Emmett told Frank thanks and started down the aisle to our seats. My eyes practically fell out of my head when Emmett got to the row directly behind the dugout and told us this was where we were sitting. I was ecstatic that I had brought my camera, knowing that I would be able to get some great pictures and send copies of them to my dad.

As we made our way into the four empty seats in the row, I heard Emmett greet the two men at the end. One was a tall thin guy with curly blond hair and blue eyes. When he greeted Emmett, I thought I could hear a faint southern accent. Emmett introduced him as his brother Jasper. Even though they were different in build, you could see a slight resemblance in their faces. The other guy had blond straight hair, blue-grey eyes, and seemed to be a little more reserved. He was introduced to us as James.

When the game first started, I sat between Rose and Alice. Emmett took the seat next to the guys with Rose on his other side. As the game went on, it seemed like everyone but me started to move seats. The next thing I knew, Alice was sitting on the complete opposite end from me talking adamantly to Jasper, and I was sitting next to James. He seemed like a nice guy. He asked me if I was enjoying the game, if I had ever been to Wrigley before, and finally asked with a chuckle if I always wore tiaras, or if it was some type of special occasion.

"You'll have to ask Alice that question. She's the one who made me wear it."

He gave me a quirky look as if to ask why I wouldn't tell him. Suddenly, I heard a piercing scream coming from Alice. "Look at the scoreboard Bella!"

As I looked up, I noticed it said 'Happy 25th Birthday Bella'.

I saw James throw his head back and start laughing, "So, that's what the tiara is for. It's your birthday. Well I guess that means we have all day to celebrate right?"

I thought the game was the celebration, but then again, that might not be the case. I'm not sure how much the guys knew about Alice's plans for me, but they weren't letting on if they did.

Once the game was over I thanked all of them for the wonderful day. Before we left I asked Frank, the usher, if he could take a picture of us. He was more than happy to. I don't know if it was coincidental or not, but it seemed like we had all paired up in the picture; Emmett with Rose, Alice with Jasper and me with James. I began questioning myself, could be this fate, or was there something more behind it?

**Thank you for reading, and PLEASE review. I promise it will only take you two seconds, and it will make my day! **

**I'm also pretty sure that most of you want to kill me now...Sorry :( **

**I guess I should probably go hide until next week.**

**For those wondering all references to Chicago are real. Casey Moran's is a bar across from Wrigley that I frequent often. Dinkel's is a real bakery up in the Lakview area of Chicago it's been there since 1922 and they do have a sandwich called the Burglaur... they are delicious and if you are ever in Chicago you should stop by and try one. **

**Finally I have a few recommendations for you...These are some of the great authors I bought is the FGB auction & one who is a special friend. Go read their stories and when you review let them know I sent you!**

**Nostalgicmiss - Privileged www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/5770240**

**Risbee - A Beautiful Mess - co-Written with Coldplaywhore www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/5560057/**

**Coldplaywhore - Sundrenched World www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/5681460/**

**Elusivetwilight - The Rain Season www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/5249534/**

**NJNYTwigals - Where There's Smoke www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/53661941 & Beautiful Stranger www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/5535491/**

**Thanks again and see you next Thursday :)**


	3. Chapter 3 Beautiful Day

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters but I am having fun playing with them...but remember I do own the story... :)**

**A/N: Huge thanks go out to NJNYTwiGal-H, Basketgirl for helping make sure my story makes sense...Mammakal for teaching me the english I should have learned in HS but decided I didn't want to and special thanks goes out to tg10781 who is there for me in all ways and who started a Twilighted thread...The link is on my profile...I'll play around there and I think if enough people visit I'll leave a little something special out there before my next post... You gals are great and I don't know what I would do without you :)**

**Thanks again to the readers...I have been amazed how many have taken the time to read my first two chapters...Now let's find out what happened after the game ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Beautiful Day**

After having had a great day at the ballpark, Rose, Alice and I headed back to the condo. "So…was this all one big set up today?" I inquired.

"I don't know what you are talking about," they said in unison. With that, we all broke out into a fit of giggles.

Once able to control ourselves, Rose looked at me and rambled, "I had no idea Emmett was coming to the game with us, let alone bringing two guys with him. All I did was ask him if he knew anyone willing to sell me some tickets. When I stopped by Moran's last night, he informed me he'd have them in the morning and to stop by for a pre-game drink. It wasn't until he pulled you out of there and starting walking with us that I figured he was coming with us. Are you mad?"

"No, of course I wasn't mad. I just wanted to do something fun today. A Cubs game was the perfect way to celebrate. I know how interested you are in Emmett, so that just made the day that much more perfect."

Rose turned and gave me a huge hug. "That's just so like you Bella, to put everyone else's happiness before your own."

Alice quickly chimed in, "So... What did you think of James? He looked like he was interested in _you_."

If I was being true to myself, I really hadn't paid much attention to James. He seemed like a decent guy but I was much more interested in what was happening on the field. Today was a huge treat for me. My shyness has a tendency to keep me on the quiet side, causing me to not really interact much. The baseball game kept my interest, which in turn, made me more comfortable.

"He seemed nice but you know how I am. I'm not one to notice if someone might be interested in me. What about you Alice? You seem to have _something_ for Jasper?"

"Bella, one of these days you have to come out of that shell of yours. You need to realize you are a great catch. Whoever ends up with you will be lucky. Not only do you have great assets on the inside, you also have them on the outside." Alice then smiled and winked at me without missing a beat, then coyly added, "Oh, and I do think Jasper is just so _hot_!"

I really didn't know what I would do if I didn't have these two in my life. I'm sure I'd be back on the farm . . . just my dad and me letting time pass until I ended up marrying one of the other farmer's sons, or worse, growing old alone. Don't get me wrong, I loved being on the farm, it's just not where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.

"Hey Bells, what are you thinking about?" Rose inquired.

"What great friends I have and how special you've made today. I owe you guys, and promise one day I will do something as special for you." I didn't really know how I would do it, but I knew I would find a way.

We had just arrived to the lobby of our building when Alice exclaimed, "Well if you think the afternoon was great, wait until you see what tonight has in store."

"What do you mean tonight? I thought the game was my surprise. What are we doing?"

As we stepped onto the elevator I caught Rose roll her eyes at me, "You know better than to ask. It's a surprise, and one I'm sure you'll never forget."

As happy as I was that they went all out for me, I felt a little overwhelmed and guilty about the incredible effort they put in knowing that I would never really ever be able to reciprocate it. I resolved myself to just go with it and let them do it since it seemed to make them happy.

**~o0o~ **

A few hours later, we were ready to head out for the evening. Alice had let me pick out my own outfit which was completely out of character for her. Normally she tries to dress me up like I am her own personal Barbie doll. Instead, today she just stated, "It's your birthday. You can wear whatever your little heart desires."

Once she said those words, I was sure something was up and was a little concerned on where we were going. So there I was standing in our living room wearing a pair of skin tight jeans with a few embellishments on them, my favorite black t–shirt, which had "Girls just want to have fun" across the front, and my favorite pair of Ed Hardy shoes; the ones with a few rhinestones and purple panthers on them.

Rose also wore jeans with a short sleeved, tight fitting, black cowl neck sweater. She paired it with her red Prada stilettos. _How she walks in those things I'll never know. _

Alice chose to stay true to herself and had on her favorite little black tank dress that fit tight to her body, ending just about mid thigh with a pair of high healed electric-blue suede pumps. By looking at the three of us you wouldn't think we were all heading to the same place, but we were.

Right before we left the condo, I quickly grabbed the purse I had used that afternoon; wanting to make sure I had my camera with me just in case… A few minutes later, we were back in the lobby, arms locked together, heading out for the night. Once we went outside, Rose quickly stepped to the curb to hail a cab. Rose leaned over the front seat and told the driver where we were going, making sure that I was unable to hear.

A short cab ride later we arrived at Metro. This place has been around for a long time. It has always focused on giving exposure to emerging artists and bands. Since 1982, Metro has helped launch the careers of such artists as REM, Smashing Pumpkins, Blue October and Mat Kearney, to name a few. Established groups, while performing in Chicago, have also been known to do impromptu sessions there, the likes of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Excitement ran through my body wondering who we were going to get to experience tonight. I had only been able to go to one show here since moving to Chicago.

I took a look at the longest line I had ever seen, wondering who was playing tonight. I had hoped that we were still able to get in since there was a strict limit of only 500 allowed in. This gave those performing a way to really connect to the audience, which just adds to the experience.

Before I knew what was happening, Rose was grabbing my hand and pulling me in the opposite direction. "Where do you think you are going? You didn't think we would make the birthday girl stand in line did you?"

I saw Alice talking with the bouncer at the door; he was leaning down and she was speaking directly into his ear since it was rather noisy outside. The next thing I noticed, he removed the rope by the entrance and motioned us to walk in. When I passed by him, he wished me a happy birthday. _How did he know? Alice didn't make me wear the hideous tiara._ Once inside, we were met by a guy named Laurent. He welcomed us and led us down a hallway that was off to the side. I was confused to where we were going since the main area was straight ahead. Laurent then said something to Alice while motioning her to go through a door that was just ahead of us. I was surprised when Laurent passed by me on his way back and whispered in my ear, "Happy Birthday, Bella."

I was beginning to wonder if Alice and Rose had taken out a full page ad with my picture in the Chicago Tribune to inform everyone within one hundred miles that it was my birthday.

When I stepped through the door, I let out a gasp realizing that we were backstage. I couldn't figure out why we were here. It wasn't like we knew anyone who would be performing.

Much to my surprise, I heard a familiar voice. "Hey Bella, how are you enjoying your birthday so far?" I turned around and there were Emmett with Jasper holding a bottle of champagne. Not just any champagne, but Cristal.

In his smooth southern accent Jasper stated, "Since we only have a few hours left until your special day is over darlin', we should pop the cork on this bottle and finally give you a proper toast."

I felt the blush travel from my cheeks to my hairline, and realized I already look like a bright red tomato. I reacted typically, by glancing down at the ground to look at my feet. I quietly said, "Thanks you guys. You really shouldn't have. You barely know me and have done so much for me already."

Emmett quickly retorted, "Bella, it's your birthday and birthdays are supposed to be celebrated. Also, you're a good friend of Rose's here. I wanted to help her make your day special. So just sit back and let us do this for you. Believe it or not, we are getting as much out of it as hopefully you are."

Emmett sounded just like Alice and Rose. He really seemed to care about me enjoying myself and seemed like he was had a kind soul. As out of character as it was for me, I finally looked up, walked over and gave both Jasper and Emmett a hug and kiss on the cheek.

Just as I stepped back, I heard from behind, "Sorry I'm late. Hope I didn't miss anything?"

I looked over Jasper's shoulder to see it was James. He was standing there looking a little nervous. He had changed into an Ed Hardy tee shirt, which fit his body perfectly, and a great pair of jeans, which hung low on his hips. As I slowly scanned back up his body, I saw a little flicker of something in his eyes.

I was brought out of my stare by Alice's enthusiastic voice. "Yeah, you missed something alright, Bella was just giving out hugs and kisses, but since you were late, you missed out."

My mouth gaped open as I saw a slight frown appear on James' face. He looked like he was truly upset. _Why would that be? We only met earlier in the day and we really didn't even talk that much. _

**~o0o~**

Time passed by rather quickly and I realized it was almost 9:00 p.m., which meant the show was about to start. Emmett yelled to get our attention and then directed us to a special area along the side of the stage to watch. Once there, I noticed that Jasper wasn't around, and wondered where he went. When the band came on stage, Jasper was front and center, looking at us with a huge smile on his face. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. From the looks of Alice's expression, I don't think she had any idea either. She was grinning from ear to ear, with her eyes bugging out of her head. I looked over at Emmett and he just smiled and gave us a quick wink. We soon figured out that Jasper is part of the band 100 Monkeys, and they are awesome. When Jasper walked off stage, Alice took no time in assaulting him. _Knowing Alice, I'd be surprised if we saw them again at all tonight._

We didn't see either of them for about a half hour. When they finally returned, Alice said they found a quiet place to talk. _Make out was my guess_.

I figured that this was the last surprise of the day, until James leaned down from behind me and whispered in my ear, "I hope you're not too tired, since there is another surprise."

When I turned to look at him, our lips practically touched, which was a surprise to both of us. I pulled away quickly. When I looked into his eyes, they looked sad, like a child who had just lost his puppy. He continued to look at me as if he was hoping that maybe I would take the initiative and give him at least a little peck.

A booming voice broke me out of the moment. "Hey you two, we need to vacate this area for the next half hour. Follow me." I looked over to see Emmett motioning to us while his other hand was firmly grasped around Rose's waist, pulling her down the hall. James placed his hand against my lower back and gently encouraged me to follow. When we emerged from back stage, we went over to the bar with the rest of our group. I was immediately handed a shot glass by Emmett.

"What is this?" I asked suspiciously.

"It's a lemon drop."

"A lemon drop?"

"It's like a tequila shot, but done with vodka; lemon and sugar instead of salt and lime," Jasper was quick to point out. "If you want tequila, I'm sure that we can get that for you instead."

"No, this is fine," I said, a little unsure if I even wanted to do any shots. I'm not that big of a drinker and had already consumed some beer and champagne. I thought about it for a quick minute and decided I didn't want to be rude and I was having fun so I lifted my shot glass and said, "Here's to all of you for making my birthday one to remember. Thank you."

We all raised our glasses and downed the shots. The vodka was cold and soothing on my throat. The lemon and sugar were perfect to cut the harshness of the vodka. _I think I might like doing more of these_. Before I was even able to put my glass down, James handed me another. I gladly took it from his hand and thanked him before I quickly drank it. It was so out of character for me but like Alice and Rose have told me, 'you only turn twenty five once.'

Laurent stopped by again, and said, "Okay, you guys can head back stage again." He had a devious grin on his face. "The surprise of the night is going to start in about five minutes."

James turned towards the bar and ordered another round of shots and some other drinks. He asked the bartender to bring them backstage when they were ready, to which the bartender eagerly agreed to do. I saw James drop what looks like two-one hundred dollar bills on the bar saying, "Keep the change."

Wow, I'd never seen anyone leave such a large tip before. Why was he doing it? Was he just trying to seem important or was he really that rich?

Emmett quickly led us through the crowded main floor and back down the hallway we had come from. James was directing me along the way, with his hand now more firmly touching me on the small of my back.

When the door opened to the backstage area, I almost fainted when I saw who was performing next. It was Bono and the Edge from U2…my favorite band of all time! They were scheduled to play in Chicago that week. I tried to get tickets but couldn't, and the prices from the ticket brokers were just too steep for me.

James saw me stumble and quickly grabbed my waist, then leaned to speak into my ear. "So I was right, this is the best surprise so far. I'm glad I was able to get them to come and do this for you."

"What?" I gasped, and I turned around in James' arms, "You did this?"

"Yeah, I know people and pulled in a few favors. I overheard Alice telling Jasper that they were hoping to get you tickets to the concert, but were unable to. Once I knew they were willing to do an unannounced set, I asked Emmett if we could do it here at Metro, and he said it would be perfect. I was hoping it was just going to be the six of us, but I think the word got out." He stated as if he really was saddened it wasn't just us while looking at me with excitement in his eye. "I didn't expect to meet such a beautiful person. From the moment I laid my eyes on you at the game, I haven't been able to focus on anything else but making sure today was the best birthday ever for you." He then winked at me and gave me a huge smile.

".GOD. I'm not sure what to say. . . Thank you!" Before I realized what I was doing, I had put my hands up to James' face and give him a big kiss. "_No one has ever done anything like this for me before."_

"Hey you two, we need to get to the side. The real show is about to start," Rose said with a smirk on her face.

James and I rushed over to the rest of them just as U2 was being announced to the crowd.

Bono began by speaking to the audience, "I'd like to thank all of you for coming out on this special night. You are all going to make one young lady never forget her birthday. We are doing this for her, and having the rest of you here is just a bonus for us. We hope you enjoy the show… Oh, Happy Birthday Bella." He turned to his right to look at me with a smile and nod.

I had felt like I was having an out of body experience. Here I was watching U2 from the stage right on my birthday, with my best friends and three people I just met, who all did so much to make my day special. I was worried that I would wake up from this and realize it was all a dream.

U2 played an acoustic set of all my favorites. They dedicated 'Beautiful Day' to me and the day I was born. All along, James stood behind me with his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, leaning his chin on my shoulder and swaying me to the music. After a while, he moved my hair to one side so that he could periodically place light kisses along the side of my neck and whisper into my ear. I felt a strange feeling in my stomach every time he kissed me. I couldn't pin point why it was and just attributed it to the alcohol.

When the set was over, Bono and the Edge stopped over to wish me a happy birthday once again. Luckily, I remembered that I don't go anywhere without my camera. I pulled it out like a crazed fan, _which I am. _I asked Laurent to take a picture of all of us with them, and then one with me alone. As Laurent was about to hand the camera back to me. James chimed in, "Hey, can you take a picture of just me and Bella?"

He pulled me in even closer to him, leaned down, and asked me to look at him. I turned to look just as the flash went off and he placed a hard kiss on my lips. Again I felt that unusual sensation, this time radiating throughout my body. I heard James let out a low chuckle while looking over my shoulder. It felt like someone was looking at us and I turned my head to the side and saw someone turn to leave the room. He was's a tall man with messy bronze like hair. I wondered who it could be, and then it hit me. He looked like the guy from the coffee shop.

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**So how did you like her surprise...was it worth the wait? ****If you are wondering….U2 did do a set at Metro about 5 years ago and I was there…it was awesome**

**I know you are all wondering where Edward is...he's dying to tell you what he's thinking but he needs a little encouragement...if you review I will pass them along to him and maybe you can get his take on things in the next chapter... :) The more reviews the more likely he'll show up...and remember all those who review will get a teaser.**


	4. Chapter 4 Beautiful Bella

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. But I do own the same car as Edward drives in New Moon & Eclipse. (The color of mine is what I call Edward Cullen Bronze) Oh, and I do own this story :)**

**On a serious note...a FF friend Mon Amour is having some personal health issues. I would appreciate it if you would keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks for doing it...it means a lot to both of us.**

**So with further delay...**

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Chapter 4- Beautiful Bella

EPOV –

Today was her birthday. I wondered what her friends had planned and if she was enjoying herself.

My mind had been continually racing with thoughts of her since I first laid eyes on her: immense brown doe-like eyes, long silky chestnut hair, exquisite plump cherry lips, and beautiful porcelain skin. Every time I saw her she was happy, exuding a zest for life with that unforgettable smile. I chose to spend much more time than necessary at Uncommon Grounds so that I could watch her and feed off the energy she radiated. Her energy did more for me than my daily jolt of caffeine, and the days when she wasn't working just seemed to drag on forever.

Her name is Bella. I have overheard other customers address her by that name. Once I heard it, all I could think of was how her name fit her perfectly. Bella…Beautiful.

Every day when I arrived, I was tempted to introduce myself to her but my insecurities kept me from doing so. I was sure she had a boyfriend. She probably was constantly being asked out by guys who were regularly coming in for their "coffee fix". I'm sure I was not the only guy who stopped by regularly for that "fix".

I looked at the clock and noticed that it was almost noon. I decided to take a run to try to get my mind off of her. I knew it wouldn't be fair for me to pursue her with my crazy travel schedule. I was only in town until Monday night and then off to London again for a month.

Even though the goal of my run was to clear my mind, it did the complete opposite. I found myself looking at every woman with brown hair hoping to see that it might be her. My mind constantly drifted back to wondering what she was doing and who she was with. Was she enjoying herself? Was the special someone in her life making it memorable? I wanted her to have a magnificent day as long as it wasn't with a special someone.

I looked up and noticed that I had made my way all the way to the Chicago Yacht Club from Lincoln Park while making my way along the lakefront path. Instead of helping, the run was actually frustrating me more. It was at that point I decided to do something special for Bella hoping that it would help my frustration level. My plan was to do it without her knowing, hoping that she would realize she had a secret admirer who was interested in her. After making that decision, I decided to turn around and head back to Emmett's place to get ready for the evening.

I spent eighty percent of my time somewhere other than Chicago, so it didn't make sense for me to own or rent a place here. I normally bunked up at my parent's house when I was in town, but this time I decided to stay with my brother. When I am in Chicago, I use the time to refuel myself. My life as a partner working for Cullen Masen Holdings, a venture capitalist firm with investments throughout the world, sounded exciting to most, but it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I had been working with my Uncle Ed since I graduated from the University of Chicago law school. Initially I found the travel to be exciting, but lately I kept feeling like I wanted to settle down and stay in one place.

Emmett had been the beneficiary of my work with Uncle Ed. His network of bars and clubs throughout the city were evidence of that. I was able to convince our uncle, that even though Emmett seemed like a big goof ball, he had a good head on his shoulders; with our backing, he would turn his love of the nightlife into something huge. This resulted in profits for us.

When it came to my brothers, I always seemed to be the odd man out amongst the three of us. Even though Jasper and I shared the love of music, I preferred to play for my own enjoyment, using my music as a way to escape or calm my nerves. He thrived on the adrenaline and excitement of performing live in front of others.

Just as I started stretching after my run, I received a text from Emmett.

Hey, Eddie…Big news…U2 doing set 2 nite Metro...make sure u stop by.

I was shocked, to say the least. Emmett had just recently started to book the acts. With our help he was able to recently buy out the partner he had at Metro. Bob was the one who had the connections in the industry, so I was pleasantly surprised. As much as I loved what I did, it was times like that that I really regretted not being around more so that I could see my little brother show the world his talent.

Emmett knew I had promised to have dinner with my parents in the evening. Our reservation was for seven o'clock and knew I could probably be out by nine. That would have left me time to get to Metro to catch the end of Jasper's set, and then I could stick around to see U2.

My Parents, Esme and Carlisle, and I arrived at the Metropolitan Club fifteen minutes early, so we decided to head into the bar to get a drink. Just after we received our drinks from the bartender, my father recognized that Aro and Jane Volturi had just arrived. My parents and the Volturi's go way back. They had all grown up together in Bridgeport. Aro and my father attended the local catholic boy's high school together.

The Volturi's were very influential residents of the city. Aro was a prominent and respected member of the Chicago city council. He represented the ward in which the hospital, Northwestern Memorial, was located where my father was Chief of Staff. Which was in the midst of a huge renovation. It was because of this that Carlisle always felt obligated to socialize with them, at least for a while.

Jane and Esme both served on numerous charitable boards; my mother actually participated and did things, while Jane just was on them for show.

As in typical Volturi fashion, Aro and Jane gushed about their son, James, whom I couldn't stand. James and I grew up together. James tried to turn everything between us into a competition; whether it was sports, school or girls, he always had to try to one up me. He was a little fucker who still to this day used daddy for everything he had. He's never worked an honest day in his life.

"So Edward, are you still working for your Uncle?" Jane asked with a condescending tone.

"Yes, I am working with my Uncle Ed. Actually, we are partners now," I responded with a smirk on my face "So, what actually is it that James is doing these days?" I was curious to see if he had actually found a real job.

"He's following in my footsteps. He decided he wants to go into politics." Aro's eyes were gleaming with pride. He continued. "So, he's working as my chief of staff. He needs a few more months and then he will be ready to take over my seat on the City Council." His confidence in James' future in politics was clearly evident.

"Maybe you haven't heard yet Edward," Carlisle started with some trepidation, "Aro announced his run for Mayor a few weeks ago while you were out of town."

"No, I hadn't heard that. Congratulations and good luck," I said, hoping that the look on my face didn't reflect what I was truly thinking. He being Mayor would make this city even more corrupt than it already was.

Once they finally left, my parents and I were escorted to our table to enjoy our dinner. By the time we were done eating, it was already past ten. I knew I had missed catching Jasper's set and if I was going to have any chance of catching U2, I needed to make a quick exit. I did just that, but before I left, I made sure I gave my mother a quick kiss on her check.

"Edward, don't be a stranger. Your mother and I miss you." Carlisle appealed lovingly with his eyes, while giving me a firm hand shake.

"I miss you too. I promise to find a way to come back to Chicago more often so that we can spend more time together. "

~o0o~

When the cab pulled up in front of Metro, I was not surprised to see the line of people trying to get in all the way down the block. I figured that between Twitter and Facebook, word had gotten around town. With the way technology is, it's almost impossible to keep anything low key or a secret anymore.

I quickly made my way to the front door and was greeted by Seth. He let me pass the rope and told me I would be able to find Emmett and Jasper backstage. He then added that the show would start in about fifteen minutes.

Once inside, it was hard to move. I had never seen the place so packed, but with U2 being there I was not surprised. I just hoped most of them came to see Jasper and the guys in his band. They were awesome; they just hadn't gotten their big break yet.

I finally made my way over to the bar. Bob, one of the bartenders I know, saw me and motioned to the taps to confirm I wanted my regular. I nodded, since I couldn't even hear myself with the shear excitement in the place.

Bob returned quickly with my Blue Moon. He gestured in the direction of the backstage hallway to tell me I would find Emmett and Jasper back there. I thanked him for the drink and for leading me to Emmett and Jasper. Before leaving I made sure to throw a twenty dollar bill on the bar as a tip. I know I didn't need to pay for my drinks, but I was more than thankful that he had taken care of me. He was working his ass off that night and I wanted to show my appreciation.

Just as I got inside the stage door, Emmett was stepping to the center of the stage to make the introduction of U2. I realized that I was going to have to stay where I was until the set was over. I would then catch up with Emmett and Jasper once the show was done.

Bono started the set thanking everyone for coming out to see them, and to also help celebrate a special someone's birthday. I thought to myself that there was no way it could be, but when he said Bella's name, I knew I had to find her. I frantically looked around the club to see if I could see her. I knew it was going to be hard because there were so many people there, and she was a rather petite thing. As I scanned back to Bono, I noticed him turn his head and he winked to the other side of the stage.

My eyes follow his, and I was captured almost immediately by her dazzling brown eyes. She looked more beautiful than I remembered. She was smiling and looked carefree; surely she was enjoying herself.

The more I looked at her, the more I felt my body reacting to the excitement of seeing her. I reluctantly found myself adjusting my pants. I slowly removed my eyes from her to see who else she was with. My heart almost stopped and my arousal subsided when I noticed someone beginning to weave their hands around her waist and lean down to kiss her on her cheek. I slowly let my eyes wander to see if I could see whose hands they were. When my eyes met his and I saw the smirk on his face, I could feel my eyes bug out of my head and my heart start to race.

What the hell was he doing here, and why the fuck did he have his hands and lips on her? He wasn't her boyfriend, was he?

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**So what do you think about what Edward had to say? Please leave a review and let me know...Also, all those that review will get a teaser if I am not posting that day.**

**A/N:A huge thanks go out to all of you that have reviewed so far... I hit 100 reviews today...Hearing your views about my story are very inspiring..._I am completely humbled._**

**Thanks to mommakal for her awesome beta skills...trust me without her you would all be wondering if english was my first language. Thanks to basketgirl, tg10781 & NJNYTwigal-H for pre-reading... you guys mean the world to me :)**

**Thanks to all of you who are reading and have put me on alerts & favorites...I never thought my story would have so many followers... All of you have made this well worth the effort...**


	5. Chapter 5 The Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight...enough said...but remember I do own this story...**

**A/N: Thanks to all of you who kept my friend Mon Amour / Trayce in your thoughts and prayers this week...they were and still are desperately needed. Her health has taken another turn for the worst...It would mean the world to me if you could keep her and her fmaily & friends in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with this latest setback.**

**As always I wouldn't be able to do this without my beta mommakal. Trust me when I say she is the grammar and puncuation queen...thanks BB... :)**

**I also need to give shout outs to my pre-readers NJNYTwiGals-H, tg10781 & basketgirl...they make sure all my chapters make sense and are always pushing me to make this little ditty better... I appreciate you more than you will ever know. :)**

**Now on with the show...**

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**Chapter 5 – The Aftermath**

I awoke to a strange buzzing sound coming from my floor. As I raised my head to look around, it started to throb and pound more than I had ever remembered before in my life. My mouth felt and tasted as if someone had shoved a wad of cotton balls into it.

Suddenly I realized the sound was my cell phone. As I grabbed my jeans, which were uncharacteristically lying on the floor along the side of my bed, the buzzing stopped. I quickly retrieved my phone from the back pocket to see who had called. It was a text message from Rose.

_**Hey…Hope u r up….u need to be at work in 2 hrs…Stayed w/ Em…Hope u had fun last night… I sure did **__**…Will talk later.**_

I wasn't' really sure what Rose was referring to as most of last night was a blur after seeing U2. I texted her back immediately.

_**Thx Rose…I'm up…We'll talk 2nite…**_

I vaguely remembered James placing kisses on me throughout the set U2 played. Also, someone I sort of recognized turned and left the backstage area just after James laid that _hard_ kiss on me. After that, the night just got all fuzzy. With the headache I currently had, I was attributing it to all the alcohol I drank yesterday.

As I sat up in bed I started questioning myself. _How did I get home?_ _Maybe Alice brought me home and crashed here in Rosalie's room. Why am I still in my t-shirt and underwear from last night? _

This was definitely uncharacteristic of me. I hated disorder and was a creature of habit. When I would undress, I would immediately put my dirty clothes into my hamper. No matter how late or tired I was, I always brushed my teeth and washed my face.

Finally after about five minutes of lying there, I finally pulled myself off the mattress and made my way to the bathroom. I felt like shit. The first thing I did was find the bottle of Tylenol. I grabbed two tablets and swallowed them quickly, followed by two large glasses of water. Then I reached for the bottle of Scope and took a large swig trying to get rid of the cotton mouth I had. When I looked in the mirror I was greeted by a hideous site. My lips were swollen, and mascara flakes were all over my face along with the rest of my makeup from the previous night. No wonder I felt like I did. It was written all over my face. I realized I felt scummy overall and decided a shower was definitely in order. I just wanted to wash off all the grime that took up residence on my body.

When I stepped into the shower and directly under the hot water, it felt amazing as it poured over my sore and achy muscles. The steam and warmth soothed me and helped ease the pounding in my head.

Once the water began to cool my body and mind, I decided it was time to get out and get ready for the rest of the day. After I turned off the water and leaned out to grab a towel to wrap myself in, I heard the condo door open. I hastily dried my body and quickly wrapped the towel around my body.

"Rose? Alice is that you?" I called as I opened the bathroom door and stepped into the hallway. I took a few more steps and looked towards the front door then froze immediately. My heart skipped a few beats and I gasped as I saw James standing there.

"Good morning Bella. I wanted to make sure you had something to eat before going to work," he smiled and stated matter of factly. His eyes scanned up and down my body while holding up a bag from Einstein's bagels.

I felt my mouth was agape and the blush crept up from the tips of my toes to the top of my head as I watched him looking at me as if I was the only woman left on earth.

_How did he get into my apartment? Those look like the same clothes he had on last night. Was he the one who brought me home? Oh, my god…what did we do when we got back here?_

"Uh….I didn't…," at first not being able to form a coherent sentence. I was finally able to spew out, "Why are you here?"

"I couldn't leave without saying goodbye and making sure you were up and ready for work," he calmly stated while moving towards me with a smirk on his face. "Even though I like what you're wearing, why don't you go get dressed so you can have your breakfast before it gets cold?"

"I don't think I have time. I need to catch the bus to get to work on time," I spit out as I made my way back to my bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. I stood with my back against the door breathing heavily, trying to remember what could have happened last night.

I could hear James as he responded to my statement, "Don't worry. Laurent is downstairs. He can drive you."

His words confused me. _Why would Laurent be waiting downstairs to take me to work?_

I turned towards my closet, grabbed my uniform, and got dressed. I stopped in the bathroom to put on my make-up and pulled my hair up into a pony tail. I made sure I was presentable for work, but wanted to get back to James as soon as possible since it gave me a little bit of the creeps that he was with me, alone in the condo.

"Huh…what do you mean that Laurent is downstairs waiting? I thought he worked at Metro?" calling out as I finished up in the bathroom.

"Nope, he's my assistant…or will be."

"Oh…OK….give me a second…I'm almost done," I blurted out, sounding somewhat confused.

When I walked into the main area of the condo, I found James perched on one of the stools by the kitchen counter. Sitting in front of him were two bagel sandwiches, two glasses of orange juice, and what looked like a large latte from Uncommon Grounds.

"Wow, don't you look beautiful." He said seductively as he stood up to greet me while placing a kiss on my cheek.

I found his comment a little out of place since I was wearing my uniform from the Art Institute. It consisted of a white buttoned down shirt, a navy blue polyester blazer and skirt, and I was wearing a pair of plain navy blue flats. It was nothing you wouldn't see in any other museum around the city, so I was wondering why he had said I looked beautiful.

"So…" I started to inquire but was cut off.

"Bella, please eat before it gets cold. I hope you like egg white bagel sandwiches? Also, I wasn't sure, but you seemed like a "latte" girl to me, so I had Laurent pick one of those up also."

"Thanks..." I said, while I sat down next to him. "So why did Laurent go get breakfast?"

"I called and asked him to bring something over. I thought it was best I didn't leave you alone until I was able to make sure you were up and feeling okay this morning."

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned, while I sipped the latte he had sitting in front of me.

"Well…" he chuckled, "I think you drank a little more than normal. By the end of the night you were feeling no pain, that's for sure."

I felt my blush reappearing while I wondered what, if anything, especially embarrassing had happened.

"So… did I embarrass myself?" I cautiously asked while looking down at the plate of food in front of me.

"No, to the contrary, you were a ton of fun," he exclaimed with a huge smile while wiggling his eye brows at me.

_What did he mean by that? Why was he being so vague?_

"Oh," was all I could muster up as a response.

"Bella, don't worry about it. You need to eat so I can get you to work on time. We'll talk about it later. Maybe over dinner tonight?"

I quickly responded, "Okay." I turned my focus back to the food and coffee in front of me. My mind continued to race while we ate as I tried to remember what had unfolded the night before.

oOo

My day at work went by at a snail's pace. This was probably due to the fact that my mind kept bringing me back to the conversation with James, the text this morning from Rose, and the constant pounding in my head. Not being used to not knowing what took place was playing tricks on me.

When five o'clock finally rolled around, I headed for the employee lounge to grab my coat and purse. I took a quick glance at my cell phone and saw that I had two text messages.

The first was from Rose.

**Al and I are waiting to hear about last night…hurry home**

I decided not to respond, knowing they would be waiting there. I checked my other message. When I looked at the number, it wasn't registered in my phone and I didn't recognize it.

**Hey hope work went well. Would love to pick you up and take you to dinner if you're still up for it. Let me know. -J**

Not really sure how I felt about James' text, I decided to head for the bus and make my way home. The whole ride home I wrestled with the plethora of questions roaming through my mind. Upon arrival at my stop, I sprinted towards the condo. I needed to get to my best friends to figure out what happened last night and what they thought about James.

As I opened the condo door, I called, "Rose…Alice… I'm home."

"It's about time," Rose answered, sounding more than a little annoyed.

"Sorry, the bus was running late, but I ran all the way home once I got off," I responded, while gasping for air.

"Based on that, it sounds like you've got some good scoop to spill," Alice squealed.

As I walked towards my bedroom, I answered over my shoulder, "Give me a second to change and then we will talk."

"Take your time. We'll be right here waiting with bells on," Alice practically sang.

I swiftly removed my uniform and hung it up in my closet. I changed into my favorite pair of yoga paints and a comfy sweatshirt, feeling that this conversation was going to take the rest of the evening.

As I walked into the living area. I could tell my intuition was right and a rather deep conversation _was_ going to occur. Alice and Rose were both seated on opposite ends of the couch. This left just enough room for me to sit between them. As I scanned over to the coffee table, I spied three pints of Ben and Jerry Ice Cream with spoons sitting on each of them; Chunky Monkey for me, Cherry Garcia for Alice, and finally Phish Food for Rose. Originally I thought that this was going to be me getting answers to my questions, but after seeing the ice cream I realized it was quickly turning into the Spanish Inquisition.

I slowly sauntered over to the couch, trying to read both of their faces. They weren't giving anything away. Alice was sitting smiling ear to ear while Rosalie was as stoic as ever, looking slightly annoyed with me.

"Hey guys...What's up…?" I asked quietly as I took my seat between them.

"Bella, why don't you tell us," Rose smirked, raising her eyebrow at me.

"I'm not sure what you mean?" I countered.

"Oh yes you do. Ben told me that there was a guy walking out of here this morning with you when you left for work. I can only assume that it was James."

"Soooooo… what happened last night?" Alice chimed in excitedly while bouncing up and down as she sat on the couch.

"I'm…I'm not really sure," I stammered. I felt my breathing increase while I felt heat in my cheeks coming from the blush that I am sure was quickly reappearing.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Rose questioned warily.

"Um… I don't remember everything that happened last night. I remember going to Metro and seeing Jasper and U2 play. I remember taking pictures with everyone and then taking one with James where he kissed me. After that, the night is just a big blur. I was hoping the two of you could fill in some of the missing pieces."

When I slowly looked up from my hands, which I had been twisting in my lap, I was met with what I thought was concern on both of their faces. That was before Rose's eyes grew big and she laid her head back as she started to laugh.

"Bells, I never thought I would see the day when you let loose enough to not clearly remember what happened."

I could hear Alice chuckling on the other side of me as I stared at Rose with my mouth open, not sure how to respond.

"Cat got your tongue girl?" Rose chuckled.

"Rose, it's not funny. After you texted me, I took a shower and then walked out to find James in our condo. When I woke up, I noticed I had left my clothes on the floor, which you know I never do. My head was pounding, my mouth felt drier than it ever has and I couldn't remember how I got home," I blurted out before taking a deep breath to finish. "I was hoping that you guys could fill me in on some of what happened before I left to come home."

"Oh, that wasn't what I was expected," Alice said with definite concern emanating from her face. "I don't think I can help much since Jasper and I said our good-byes right after the show and went our own way."

"So Rose, can you help me at all?" I asked while glancing over to her from beneath my lashes.

Rolling her eyes, she explained, "The four of us went over to the bar and had another drink. You asked Emmett something about some guy leaving quickly from back stage. We were all confused since we didn't see anyone. You finally dropped it, and after you finished your drink you announced that you needed to leave so that you wouldn't be late for work today. When I started saying my good-byes, you told me not to worry that I should stay and enjoy myself. That's when James offered to take you home. You didn't object, so I figured you were okay with it. Bells, you were acting like you always do. If I thought you were drunk, I would never have let James take you home," she finished, with a guilty look appearing on her face.

"Rose it's not your fault. If I wasn't acting drunk, how would you have known?" I tried to alleviate some of her guilt.

"Bells it is my fault. I should have never let you go home with someone you had just met. I could have asked Emmett to come with me. I'd never forgive myself if James did something to you."

"Rose, I don't think James would be doing anything like that. He has too much to lose if that was to become public," Alice stated.

"What do you mean?" Rose and I immediately questioned simultaneously.

"Well, after Jasper and I left, we went back to my place to talk and get to know each other better. At some point he said he was surprised that his brother Edward never showed up at Metro. He said something about how James and Edward didn't really get along and that maybe if he had seen James, he would have left. Apparently his parents and James' parents had been friends since childhood. James and Edward were the same year in school and were constantly in competition with one another. You see, James' dad is the head of the Chicago city council and announced he is going to run for mayor. The rumors are that James will then be appointed to take over for his father." She finished by sighing and taking a deep breath.

"So, what does any of that have to do with him not possibly taking advantage of Bella while she was drunk?" Rose barked.

"Well, if he really wants to have a political career and he is just starting out, he can't afford for it to get around that he took advantage of a drunken woman. I don't think that would bode well when he would later try to get elected." Alice responded as if it was common sense.

"Al, thanks. I think I follow your thought process and would have to agree. Bells, I don't think you really have anything to worry about."

"I just wish I knew. It's been on my mind all day and he wanted to take me to dinner tonight, but I'm not really sure how I feel about it."

"Well what did you tell him when he asked?" Alice inquired.

"I was so caught off guard this morning that I said okay, and then when he texted me while I was at work, I didn't know what to say. Instead of responding, I just caught my bus and came home, hoping you guys would point me in the right direction."

Rose moved closer to me and placed her hands over mine. "Bella, if I were you, I would take him up on his offer for dinner and use it as a way to find out from him what really went down last night. If you do it in a public place, he can't get all belligerent. If he does, just call me. I'll come and get you and give him a piece of my mind. At least you will know what happened, and then you can figure out how to deal with whatever did happen or hopefully didn't. "

Just as Rose finished talking, my cell phone rang. I looked at it and immediately recognized the number. It was James.

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**~ChiTwiGal**


	6. Chapter 6 Things Are About To Change

**DISCLAIMER: Some lucky lady named Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight & these characters! The only thing I own are 2 tickets to see Dave Matthews Band with special guest Jason Marz at Wrigley Field.**

**As always I do own this story and I really don't like people who steal so...if your caught I will find you...I know people :) **

**A/N: Luckily, I have people who continue to help me make this story what it is, ****NJNYTwiGal-H, Basketgirl, tg10781 **as pre-readers and of course my wonderful beta **mommakal**, who beta'd this chapter, Thank you guys, I don't know what I'd do without you *smooches*

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**Chapter 6 – Things Are About to Change**

After talking with Rosalie and Alice into the wee hours of the morning, it was nice to know I didn't have the early shift at work the next day. Angela, my manager, had something to do so she asked me if I would close for her; in return, she would open for me.

When I was finally able to fall asleep, my dreams were about what might have happened the night before with James. I decided the next morning that I would need to confront him about the events of the evening. It was nine o'clock by the time I had gotten out of bed. I thought that it would be a good time to get in touch with James since he would be at work. I decided the best way to contact him was to just respond to his text.

**Hey, sorry I didn't text u last night. I was very tired after work and just went home. –Bella**

A minute later my phone rang. When I picked it up James was on the other end.

"Hey Sexy, I'm so glad to hear from you. I was worried that something happened, or I did something to offend you," he blurted out before I could even say hello.

"Sorry about that. I was just really tired from all the excitement of Saturday and just wanted to get home and relax. You didn't do anything wrong." I said feeling guilty immediately, "I just sent you a text. Didn't you get it?"

"Why do you think I'm calling? I was hoping that we could set a date for that dinner you promised me yesterday morning."

"Oh…yeah…I was going to follow up my text with another one once I heard back from you. I just didn't think it would be so quick. Aren't you working?"

"Bella, work can wait. What's important right now is figuring out when I can see you again." He sounded so excited that I started to look forward to also seeing him again.

"When would you like to get together?" I responded.

"How about tonight?" he practically yelled through the phone.

"That won't work for me. I have to close at the coffee shop today and I will be working both of my jobs the rest of the week. Maybe we could do it on Friday since I don't have work on Saturday this week," I countered with remorse. I truly felt bad that he was all excited and I was the one who was going to ruin his good mood.

"I understand Bella. I just can't wait to see you. Maybe I can drive you to work today?" He asked, sounding hopeful that I would agree to it.

"That won't be necessary since Uncommon Grounds is only a few blocks away. The weather won't probably be nice for too much longer and I want to enjoy it while I still can," I answered, hoping that he would understand that it had nothing to do with him.

"I guess I'll just have to wait until Friday then. It's going to be hard, but trust me it will only make seeing you, and our night, that much better," his smooth voice drifted through the line.

"Thanks for understanding. I'm looking forward to seeing you also."

After the conversation ended, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Knowing I had more than a few hours before I had to head into work, I decided to take a walk along the lakefront. It was a beautiful day so I made sure I took my camera with me. I had hoped that I would be able to get some pictures of the city and sailboats before they headed in to dry dock for the upcoming winter. As I departed the condo my phone rang. When I looked at it, I was happy to see it was my dad calling.

"Hi Dad. Sorry I haven't called you back," I got out quickly before he could even say hello.

"Bells, I understand. I'm sure you were busy this weekend, but I wanted to let my baby girl know I was thinking about her on her birthday," he said with as much emotion as I had ever heard in his voice.

"Thanks Dad. It was a busy day. Rose and Alice had many surprises for me including going to a Cubs game," I replied with a huge smile on my face, knowing that he would know how special going to a game was to both him and me.

"You must have really enjoyed that," he chuckled.

"Dad it was great. We were right behind the dugout. I took a bunch of pictures and can't wait to show them to you." It was at times like this that I realized how much I missed him. "How have you been? How is the harvest coming along?"

"It's going good. Long hours as always, but Jacob Black has been helping me when he has spare time. He asks about you and wonders if you will ever come back to visit." I could tell he was telling me about Jacob because he still hoped that one day I might move back home.

"Dad, you know Jacob's been like that my entire life. Yes, I'll be back to visit, but you know I don't expect to move back to Putnam."

"Well I'm sure Jacob will be sad to hear that. So what are you doing today? Shouldn't you be working right now?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"I traded shifts at the coffee house to help out my manager, so I'm heading out for a walk. I'm going to try to see if I can use all that _farmer's_ knowledge you taught me and figure out how long it will be before fall will be arriving," I countered with the hope that he would know I hadn't forgotten about all the things he taught me while growing up. "I'll make sure to call you later with my predictions to see how well you think I've done."

"Now go and enjoy your day," he stammered out, "I'll look forward to hearing your predictions soon."

"Bye Dad…I love you."

"I love you too Bells."

By the time I had finished the call with my father I was practically at the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum. I knew that this was the perfect place to put my _farmer's daughter_ training to the test.

Most people looked for the leaves of the trees to change to judge when fall would arrive. Since I was a country girl, I knew to watch what the animals were doing to understand what was really happening. It was more than just the scurrying squirrels burying their nuts, or the birds flocking together for migration. To me, the true sign of the weather change came with what happened to the butterflies. Most people don't know that when you see the first Robin at the end of winter, that spring can be weeks away. But, when you see your first butterfly, it is a sure sign that the weather is going to progressively get warmer and stay that way. It's similar in the fall. The Robins might fly away to their winter home, but it's when the butterflies either migrate or die that the weather will begin to turn colder and won't revert back.

I walked through the gardens of prairie grasses and plants seeing only one Paper Kite Butterfly. I quickly took my camera out and focused it to try to get a picture, but before I was able to take it, the butterfly flew away. As I looked around and wandered the final two blocks to get to the lakefront, I was unable to find any more butterflies. This would lead me to believe that the weather would soon take a turn for the worse.

Once on the trail, I went south so that I could get to the break wall just south of North Avenue Beach. I knew that would be a great area to get some picture of the sailboats with the Chicago skyline in the background. After what I had seen in regards to the missing butterflies, I knew that they were out for their final sailings before they had to be stored away for the winter.

I got myself settled and started to take some pictures. I decided to scan the horizon, looking to see if there was anything else I should be taking pictures of. When I turned towards the running path, I thought I saw the cutie from the coffee house run by. At that moment, my mind quickly thought he also looked like the person who I had seen leaving from backstage at Metro. I immediately picked up my camera, put it to my eye, and quickly shot off a number of frames. The more I looked, the more I was positive it was him. His hair was as unruly as I ever saw it in the mornings. Seeing him in his running gear though made me swoon. His body was even more perfect than I had originally thought since I could see more of his physique. As I lowered my camera I realized that, as usual, he didn't notice me.

After about 15 minutes, I realized I had been staring at the area I had seen him running in, but that no one was there anymore. With that realization, I decided it was time to head back and get ready for work. I hoped that I would see him the following morning when I went back to my regular shift at the coffee house.

**~oOo~**

Once I arrived home, I quickly showered and pulled on my most comfortable pair of jeans and a royal blue v-neck sweater. I made sure to grab my coat since I was sure there would be a chill in air when I walked home after work. My phone rang and I jumped as it startled me. I picked it up and answered it while leaving my condo building, as I gave a quick wave to Ben in the lobby.

"Hey Bella, I'm in the area," James began, "I wanted to make sure you didn't need...I mean, want a ride to work?"

"Nope," I answered quickly, "I'm fine James. I actually just left my building and will be at work in a few minutes."

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure."

"Thanks. It was nice of you to offer again, but I really do love to walk as long as the weather is cooperating." I was a little out of breath due to the fact that I was walking so fast since I was running a little late.

"You sound like you're out of breath. Are you sure you don't need a ride?" he challenged.

"No, I'm just about there right now. I was running a little late but I'm a fast walker when I need to be, so I've made it on time."

"Sorry Bella, I just want you to know if you ever need a ride or something else, don't hesitate to give me a call."

"I'll remember that, but I really do need to go now." I stated as I opened and walked through the door.

"Okay, well I guess I'll call you tomorrow night so that we can finalize the time for Friday," he advised.

"Thanks. I get off work at six, so call me any time after that. Oh, and thanks again for the offer."

"Bye Bella, I can't wait until I get to talk to you again."

"Good bye James. I'll talk to you tomorrow," I enunciated, knowing that I was now at work and my co-workers were beginning to wonder who I was talking to. I hit the end call button and put my phone into my purse as I went to the back room to put my coat and purse away. When I came back out, Leah approached me.

"Hey Bella, did you see the gift for you in the back room?" she questioned.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I commented as I continued to tie my apron around my waist. "Where was it?"

"It's sitting on the center of the desk."

"Who's it from?" I inquired.

"I don't know," Leah answered. "Angela just told me to make sure you saw it."

"Thanks for letting me know. I will make sure I take a look at it a little later during my break."

While I stood at the counter taking orders, my mind continued to run through who would have left a gift for me here. I thought it was probably from Angela. She always does a little something for everyone's birthday who works here. Time passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time for my break. I made my way to the back room and went over to the desk. I was surprised when I saw a single rose sitting in one of our cups. As I got closer to the rose, I noticed that it was the most unique, stunning lavender color I had ever seen. I was so mesmerized that I didn't immediately notice what looked like a folded napkin sitting in front of it with 'Bella' written on it.

I stood there for a moment before I reached out and took the napkin. I opened it slowly wondering if maybe it was from James and if that is why he had been in the area when he called. Had he possibly stopped by hoping to find me at work? If so, he was being very persistent and I wondered why he would put so much effort towards me since we had just met.

Once I started to read the note, my prior thoughts became absent from my mind. When I looked down at it I was surprised what a beautiful script it was written in even though it was on a napkin.

_Bella-_

_I hope you had a wonderful birthday this weekend. I saw this rose and it immediately reminded me of you…stunningly beautiful and rare. Its meaning says everything I want to say. I'm sorry that I was unable to give it to you in person. I was told that you were working a later shift and would have come back, but couldn't since I will be on my way to the airport when you arrive. Please accept my apology for not delivering it in person. I will be gone for some time, but I look forward to seeing your exquisite smile and hearing your heavenly laugh when I return. _

_Yours-_

_E_

My mind began to race. _Who was 'E'? Had I possibly met him when I was out on Saturday? Was he a regular customer at the coffee shop? Why did he only leave his first initial? Does he not really want me to know who he is?_

I'm not sure how long I had stood there before I heard a voice calling my name.

"Hey Bella, is everything okay?" Leah inquired. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," I responded. "Leah, did Angela say anything to you about who dropped this off?"

"No, all she said was that there was a note and something else for you on the desk. Why? What did you get?"

"It's just a rose and this note." I passed it to her. "I'm a little confused on who it is from though." Leah grabbed the note and read it, as her mouth gaped open.

"Bella, who's E?" she asked with a taunting smile.

"I don't know and that's the problem. I don't even know what E stands for, so how am I supposed to know who he is?"

"I think you have an admirer Bella," she declared. "And I have never seen such a beautiful rose. He must have it _really_ bad for you."

"I'm not so sure about that. If he was really interested, why wouldn't he leave his full name?"

"I don't know, maybe he likes being a mystery," she countered. "I know if he would have left it for me, I sure would be intrigued." When I looked over at Leah she looked so content, like she was the one who had received the rose.

"Let's get back work." I encouraged as my mind was still spinning with questions and I needed something to distract myself.

Time passed swiftly and before I knew it, it was time to start closing the store. During the rest of the night, it had been busy so my mind was thinking about other things until I walked back into the office to retrieve my coat and purse. When I grabbed my purse I felt a vibration coming from it. I looked at my phone to find a text from Rose.

**Hey Bells, gonna be home late, work was crazy, stopping to see Emmett for a few. –R**

This was not what I was hoping for. I needed Rose to help me figure out who E might be, but it looked like would have to wait until the next day to get her input. I put on my coat and placed the note in my purse. I took the rose from the cup and raised it to my nose. I was overcome by a breathtaking, one of a kind fragrance I had never smelled. If I thought the rose was beautiful, the smell of it was divine. I continued on to check to make sure the back door was locked and all the lights were off before I stepped outside and finally locked the front door.

On my way home, I found myself looking over my shoulder, having a strange feeling like someone was watching or following me. I realized subconsciously that I was raising the rose up to my nose, breathing in its scent that it had a calming effect on me. Doing so took my mind off of the unsubstantiated feeling of being followed.

After the 15 minute walk from Uncommon Grounds, I found myself strolling through the lobby of my building. I gave a quick wave to the doorman and headed to the elevator. While I waited for it to arrive, I found myself staring at the stunning flower I had in my hand. I loved flowers, but roses had never really been a favorite of mine. That was until I got this one.

Just as I had put my key into the lock on my door, I felt my phone vibrate again. Once inside I immediately put the rose into a small vase with water, not wanting it to die. I then looked at my phone noticing an alert for a new text message.

**Hope work went well & that you got home safely. Sleep well - J**

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**Reviews are always appreciated and all those who reviews get teasers! So just take a quick moment and let me know what you think...They mean the world to me.**

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**For more info and reports on her condition, please visit the thread Raizie kindly set up on Twilighted: **http:/www(dot)twilighted(dot)net/forum/?f=4&t=11144&start=160&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

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**~ChiTwiGal**


	7. Chapter 7 Roses and Dinner

**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight and these characters...I just think they would have more fun living in CHICAGO!**

**A/N to follow so now on with the show!**

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**Chapter 7 – Roses and Dinner**

The next day at work dragged on. All I could think about was the note, the rose and my upcoming date on Friday with James. I was so confused on whether or not I should be happy or upset over this supposed secret admirer, as Alice was referring to him. James had been so persistent in pursing me and he seemed to want everything to go well.

After I arrived home from work that evening, I walked into the lobby of the condo building and immediately noticed an enormous bouquet of red roses waiting for some lucky person. As I walked towards the elevator, I glanced over to the guard's desk and gave a quick wave to Ben who was almost completely hidden behind the arrangement.

"Hey Bella, wait." He yelled while gesturing at the flowers. "These were sent to you."

When I looked at his face he had a smile, but one that seemed to have a little bit of sadness to it. It was almost as if he was jealous that he couldn't have done something like that himself.

"Ben you're kidding me. Right?" I inquired, having no clue whom they could be from.

"Nope, see…" he pointed toward the delivery sign in sheet. "It says right here…for Isabella Swan."

I slowly walked over to look at the log just to double check he was being honest with me.

"So, would you like me to carry them up for you?" Ben offered.

"That would be great," I stated with a toothless grin. "You know what a klutz I am. They probably wouldn't even make it out of the lobby if I was to carry them."

Ben radioed the other guard to come and watch the desk. Once he arrived he moved to pick up the huge glass vase and roses. It looked like vase alone weighed twenty pounds or more.

Just as the elevator doors closed Ben questioned somewhat, "So, someone must really like you."

Shrugging my shoulders I responded, "I guess so."

"Do you have any idea who they're from?"

"No, not really, but it looks like there is a card attached."

"Well, whoever it is must have it bad for you. These roses must have cost a small fortune," Ben blurted out just as the elevator stopped on my floor.

I hurried quickly down to the condo to make sure Ben didn't have to hold the bouquet any longer than necessary. I knew his arms had to be hurting from the weight and awkward position they were in. As he stepped through the doorway I instructed him that he should just put them down wherever he wanted to. He walked across the living area and proceeded to place them on the breakfast bar.

"Bella, is that you?" I heard Rosalie call from her bedroom.

"Thanks for your help Ben. I really appreciate it. I'll let you know who they're from once I figure it out myself." I stated, as I went to walk him out.

"Hey, why didn't you answer me?" Rose chided.

"Sorry, I was just letting Ben out. He helped me carry up something."

Just as I finished, Rose shrieked, "Where the hell did the floral shop come from?"

"That's what I was talking about." I answered smugly.

"Who are they from, and where did this other one on the coffee table come from?"

"Well, the one on the coffee table was left for me at the coffee shop yesterday by someone, and I'm not sure who these are from," I tried to explain.

"What's going on here. . . I spend last night with Emmett, and you start getting roses? Well if I knew that was what it was going to take I would have pursued him more vehemently earlier," she stated with a smug look on her face. "Now go and look at the card and see who they are from already."

I slowly walked over to the counter and searched through what must have been two dozen of the biggest red roses I had ever seen. Finally I found the card and opened it. Inside was a long message. Unlike the note that E left me this one was typed out in a basic font like it was printed out from an old dot matrix printer.

Bella-

Someone as beautiful as you is worth more than just one rose.

I am looking forward to dinner on Friday.

I'll pick you up at 7pm.

Love-

James

"Soooooo… who are they from?" Rosalie asked.

"They're from James," I breathed out as I felt the heat moving over my cheekbones.

"Wow, he really must like you B. I've never gotten a bouquet like that," she joked, winking at me to try to ease my embarrassment. "So what does the card say?"

"Here, why don't you read it yourself?" I responded, and handed it over to Rose. While she was reading it she raised her eyebrow as if she wanted to ask a question. "What?" I questioned her.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Really, I know that look Rose…What is it? "

"I just think the wording on the card is a little ironic."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's like he knew you had gotten another rose yesterday. But it's just probably a coincidence."

"I'm not sure what you are talking about?"

"You did say that you got the rose on the table yesterday at work, right? Who gave it to you again?"

"It was left for me by a guy who signed his note with just his first initial, which was the letter 'E'"

"Do you know who he is?" Rose inquired. "Do you think he might be the guy who's been coming in the last few weeks?"

"I have no idea. Billy, who took the rose from the guy, just said it was some guy who came in and asked for me. He didn't remember what he looked like or if he said his name," I blurted out, knowing that Rose was hoping for a better answer than that.

"Bella, why do you look like you are going to cry? This isn't a bad thing." She walked over to embrace me in a hug.

The feelings I was having at that moment were so foreign to me. Just a few days before, I was having a private pity-party for myself wondering if I would ever find someone. Now it seemed like there might be two people interested in getting to know me better. But, then there was that elusive customer at the coffee shop who I was dying to meet. Something about the way he carried himself just made me think he was a kind soul and someone I would probably really hit it off with.

"Sorry Rose, it just seems so overwhelming. James has been very persistent and he's only known me for a couple of days. Then, when I told Alice about the rose and note I received yesterday all she could do was tease me about having a secret admirer."

"Well, I do have to say I wish I was in your position. Two guys sending flowers and notes, gushing about how beautiful you are." She giggled while giving me a slight punch in the shoulder. It was her way of teasing me and getting me to relax a little bit.

"Thanks for the support Rose. I knew I could count on you," I declared, while rolling my eyes.

Rosalie then grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the couch, wanting to talk more about the note from 'E'. It was sitting on the table so I handed it to Rose. She unfolded the napkin which had the note on it and read it for what seemed like five minutes, but was probably only about thirty seconds. The look on her face was one I've never seen before. When she was done, she folded it back up and placed it next to the rose on the table.

"So, have you looked to see what the rose means?" she asked nonchalantly.

"No I haven't. Why?"

"Do you know what type of rose or how rare it is?"

"No, get to your point…I don't want to play twenty questions. It was already a long day with all the thoughts going through my head." I was annoyed and she could tell.

"Well, I know it's called a Sterling Silver Rose and that they are rather hard to get. Normally they have to be ordered special. What I don't know is what their meaning is."

"Oh, well why don't we check it out before you spontaneously combust."

I smiled at her and went to get my laptop.

I booted it up and quickly googled 'meaning of sterling silver rose' and about 15 hits came back. I opened the first one and didn't believe what I saw, so I proceeded to go through all the other ones to see if there was any other meaning. But each time I clicked the same thing was written. "Bella, are you going to tell me what its meaning is or should I be guessing? Your blush is making me think it is something special," she assumed.

"They mean . . . love at first sight," I shyly stated. It was hard for me to believe that anyone could ever see me in that light.

Rose and I spent the rest of the night talking about my perceived problem. She told me to keep my options open and enjoy it. By the time we were done talking, I was so tired that when my head hit the pillow I fell asleep immediately, finally finding the restful sleep that had eluded me for the last few days.

~o0o~

Before I knew it, Friday had arrived. My nerves started to get the best of me the minute I awoke. I was happy I only had to work at the coffee shop in the morning and then I would have time to take a nap before Alice was heading over to help me get ready for tonight. I'm still not sure why she felt the need to come by since I was 25 now and dressed myself every morning, but I knew if I didn't let her come by and help, I would be hurting her feelings.

Time flew by while I was working. The coffee shop was extra busy due to the first cold snap of the fall hitting the city. It really wasn't that cold, only in the low 60's, but it was unexpected so everyone was getting a little something to warm themselves up with.

Just as I was about to leave I heard Angela's voice, "Bella, did you ever find out who the rose was from?"

"No, I guess I'll just have to wait until he returns," I responded while looking down at the floor and quickly mumbling to myself, "Like that will ever happen."

"I'm sure he will be back. Why would he go to the trouble of bringing it by if he didn't intend to follow through? Have faith Bella, everything will work out."

"Thanks Ange, have a good day and I'll see you on Sunday."

When I arrived home it was just after one in the afternoon. I knew if I didn't get in a few winks, I would be falling asleep by the time dinner was served tonight.

~o0o~

I rolled over in my bed and took a look at my clock, hoping that I had gotten a few hours of sleep. Oh crap! When I refocused my eyes, the time on the clock said exactly what I thought it did the first time . . . 5:30pm. How could that be? Alice should have been here by now and she is going to kill me because I was supposed to have taken a shower and had my hair dried already. I threw the covers off of my body and jumped out of my bed, proceeding to twist my ankle on the shoes I had kicked off right before taking my nap.

Crap that hurt. I went into the bathroom and hopped into the shower even though the water was still cold, but I didn't have much time to care. I quickly washed my hair, shaved, and made sure all areas were sparkling clean. Just as I stepped out of the shower, I heard the front door open. I knew it had to be Alice.

"Sorry I'm late Bella but Jasper called and time just got away from me," she blubbered while walking in and dropping an armful of stuff on the couch.

"That's fine. I'm actually running late myself," I responded, hoping that she wouldn't get too upset when she saw me.

"Bella, why does it look like you just got out the shower?"

"Because I did. I told you I was running late."

"Well we need to get a move on. James will be here before we know it."

Alice went to work. She started unloading her makeup case while I dried my hair. Once that was done, she put my hair up in hot rollers and proceeded to do my makeup. She kept it simple and didn't try to make me into something that I wasn't. She felt it was best for James to see the real me. My mind kept telling me that there was a specific reason why I was going out with him tonight. It was to find out what really happened last Saturday when he came home with me. I needed to know if anything had happened, and until that was out of the way, I knew I wasn't going to be able to relax.

"What's wrong Bella?" Alice prodded. "Is there something I did with your make-up that you don't like?"

"No, it's not you Alice. I'm just getting a little nervous about tonight and finding out what happened last weekend."

Alice immediately stopped what she was doing, grabbed my hands, looked me in the eye and said. "I told you before; I don't think anything bad happened. Give him a chance. He seems to be smitten with you." I could tell by her eyes that she truly believed it.

"Thanks Alice, I'll try to relax." I said while giving her a hug. "Now what do we have left?"

"You just need to get dressed. There are three outfits on your bed. Pick out whichever one you want," she said smiling, and then started to put her things back in her bags. "I need to get going anyways. Have fun tonight and don't forget . . . if you need Rose or me, don't hesitate to call."

"You're the best Alice. What would I do without you?"

"Probably not have any fashion sense," she declared, as she made her way out the front door.

I took a quick look at the clock to see it was already 6:30 and James was supposed to be here at 7:00. I immediately headed into my room to see what my clothes choices were and much to my surprise, I liked all of them. They all seemed to be me, with nothing too revealing or flashy. I decided on a light blue v-neck sweater along with a basic black skirt. I finished off the outfit with a pair of low black heels that I knew I could be comfortable in for the evening.

~o0o~

Just as I was taking one last look in the mirror to apply some lip gloss and make sure I looked my best, I heard a knock on the front door. Who could that be? Maybe it was Rose and she couldn't find her keys.

"Just a second, I'm coming."

When I reached the door, I opened it quickly without looking to see who was there.

"James? How did you get up here?" I blurted out, not expecting to see him when I opened the door.

"I told the doorman, Ben I believe, that you were expecting me, so he let me up." He shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal.

Ben would never just let anyone up to our apartment without getting our permission first, so why would he do it this time?

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked.

"Sure. Sorry." I mumbled.

As James entered, he leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me I looked sexy. He then walked over to the couch and sat down. Once he sat down, I noticed he was looking at the lone rose that was still there since I brought it home on Monday night. My heart started racing as I saw him look at the napkin. I was hoping that he wouldn't pick it up and read it.

"This sure is a different color for a rose," he stated.

"Really? I don't know much about roses," I countered, while pointing across the room. "Oh, by the way, thanks for the ones you sent. They are lovely. Rosalie and I are both enjoying them. See they're over there on the breakfast bar."

James looked over to the roses with a huge smile gracing his face.

"See, that's the way roses should be given . . . in large quantities, not just one at a time," he stated smugly. "Now why are we sitting around here? I have a striking girl I promised to take to dinner. Why don't we go?" He then gestured to the door.

I walked over to the closet to grab my coat, purse and keys. James quickly took the keys from my hand. "Let me lock up for you."

After about a fifteen minute drive, we arrived at Spaggia. When we approached the host stand the hostess immediately addressed James. "Mr. Volturi, it's nice to see you this evening. Your table is ready. Please follow me."

"Thank you. Bella, please." He said, as he gently placed his hand on my lower back and directed me to follow the hostess to our table. His hand stayed there as we maneuvered our way through the dining room.

The first thing I noticed was the wall of windows directly in front of us. The layout of the restaurant was on a multi-level basis, leaving all the diners with a view out of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The décor of the restaurant was amazing; there were stunning black marble columns, off-white booths, and a modern chandler cascading down from the ceiling. I quickly looked down at what I was wearing and felt completely underdressed. I knew for sure that was the case when my eyes realized that James was smartly dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and the most stunning aubergine tie I had ever seen. Why didn't I think to ask about where we were going?

When we arrived at the table, I felt my jaw slack open at the view directly in front of me. It was magnificent. We were seated along the windows which had a spectacular view to the north east, giving us an uninterrupted view of Oak Street Beach and Lake Michigan.

"Wow, I've never seen a more breathtaking view," I thought out loud.

"Me either, Bella. Would you like to sit down?" James asked with a slight chuckle in his voice.

I hadn't realized I was just standing there staring. James pushed in my chair when I sat down, and then took the seat right next to me. He then leaned over, moved my hair behind my ear and whispered, "And I wasn't talking about the scenery."

When I turned to look at him, I noticed he was staring directly at me with a gleam in his eye. At that moment, I felt a heat rise up into my face and knew that the deep red blush would quickly follow. All I could think about was how charming he was being. He barely knew who I was but he seemed to be saying all the right things. I wasn't sure how to react to that since I had never been in this type of position before, and knew at some point, I needed to get the answers about what happened last Saturday night between us.

"James, thank you for bringing me here. If the food is anything like the view, I'm sure I'll love it."

When the waiter arrived, James ordered a bottle of wine, cheese and antipasti. I didn't know what much of it was when it was brought out, but James encouraged me to try it. While I was trying to decipher what most of it was and was getting my courage up to try it, I noticed that my menu was gone.

"So, is this what we're having for dinner?"

"No, Bella, it's just our starters. Our dinner will be along later. Why?"

"Oh…I…Did you order for me?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. Was there something specific you wanted?"

"No…not really…it was all confusing me a little…thanks," I stammered out, while staring down at my hands which were currently grabbing on to each other for dear life. I felt so stupid and nervous. How did I end up here? This wasn't a place for someone as simple as I was.

James reached down and grabbed my hands from off my lap and brought them up to the top of the table. "Relax, Bella...What's wrong? You seem nervous," he stated, while he rubbed soothing circles over my knuckles.

"Sorry…I just feel a little out of place here," I said quietly while looking at the floor.

"Hey, look at me," he pleaded in a tranquil voice while he lifted my chin so that our eyes met. "If anyone belongs here it is you. You've captivated me from the first moment I laid eyes on you at the game."

I really didn't know how to react. His words were charming, but it was also such foreign territory for me. Luckily I didn't have to respond. Just as he removed his hand, the waiter arrived with our dinners. James had ordered me Ravioli Di Ricotta Alla Primavera Con Pesto Genovese, which was cheese ravioli and vegetables, but the way he pronounced it in Italian just melted my resolve. He then informed me that he had gotten the Delicatezza Di Maiale Con Patate E Fave Wood, which was roasted pork loin. He suggested that I try his dish, and when I agreed he put a small bite on his fork and fed it to me. I'd never had anyone do that for me before.

Not only was the food delicious, but the presentation of it on the plate made it look more like a painting than food to be eaten. The next thing I knew, our plates had been cleared. James said he had ordered the Variazioni Di Cioccolato Con Dragoncello, a flourless chocolate cake, which was the house specialty. It was delivered with two forks and two cups of espresso.

I knew it was time to broach the subject, but I still wasn't sure how to do it. I started fiddling with my hands below the table again and stared down towards them. James once again moved his hands to mine, but this time left them where they were.

"Bella, why are you so nervous? Is there something on your mind?" he pleaded, as he looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"Well…I'm not sure how to …but, I guess…," I started out, and then finished by barely whispering, "Can you tell me what happened between us last weekend?"

A soft smile appeared across James' face. It was an innocent one and his eyes were full of kindness. "Nothing Bella…other than some kissing. When we left Metro and got into the cab, you said you were really tired. I told you to lay your head on my shoulder, which you did, and when we got back to your place I escorted you upstairs. You surprised me when you asked me in. We then sat on the couch for about thirty minutes just cuddling and kissing some. It wasn't any huge make out session if that's what you're worried about. I then suggested that maybe you go up and get ready for bed since you had to work in the morning."

"Ok…but then why were you there when I woke up?"

"Well…when you went to get ready for bed you never reappeared. I was a little worried about all the alcohol you had during the day. I decided then to take a quick peak in your room to make sure you were okay, and I found you lying haphazardly across the bed. I didn't want you to get cold, so I picked you up and placed you under the covers. When I headed back into the main area, I decided to stay for a little bit until Rose came home. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew my phone alarm was vibrating in my pocket; it was 7:00am and I was on your couch. I had set the alarm when we first left Metro because I didn't want you to be late for work."

"Really? That's what happened?" I questioned, when all I could think about was that he had seen me in my underwear when he came into my bedroom.

"Yes, that's it. Why, are you mad?"

"No, I just thought….Oh, never mind. Thanks for being so thoughtful. I don't know a lot of people who would have done that for someone that they had just met a few hours before."

"Well Bella, you're not just anyone. You're someone I want to get to know better and spend more time with."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to all who have been keeping Trayce aka MonAmour & Ally aka ChampagneAnyone in your thoughts and prayers. They both still need them and it would mean the world to me if you continued to do it.**

**Thank you for everyone who put me or this story on alert this week...there were a lot of you**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and those who haven't yet but hopefully will this chapter...They don't take long and really do mean a lot to me. :) PLEASE!**

**Finally I have a few recommendaitons for you all**

The Summer of Lethe's Demise by GothicTemptess (2nd place in the Summer Lovin' OS contest )http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6194280/1/

Beautiful Inferno by HAtreehouse http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5892148/1/Beautiful_Inferno

Love Song by Elusivetwilight (this was a OS I won in FGB & I do say it's awesome) http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6222507/1/Love_Song

As always when you review let them know I sent you! :)

**See you next Thursday...**

**~ChiTwiGal**


	8. Chapter 8 Getting to Know Each Other

**Disclaimer: All things belong to SM...I don't have much at the moment except for a nasty sunburn from a golf outing but I did get to see a family of Beavers on the course...oh, and this story is all mine... :)**

**A/N: I was afraid that Fifty was going to find me and punish be because I was such a bad, bad girl because I forgot to the thank the fantastic ladies that help me make this story what it is...they are mommakal who betas the heck out of the chapters... & NJNYTwiGal-H, tg10781 & Basketgirl...they make sure I keep the story on track & that it makes sense...I love you all!**

**Thanks to all of you who read, review & have put me on alert...it really does mean the world to me..**

**Finally, to all of you who kept Trayce/MonAmour & Ally/ChampagneAnyone in your thoughts and prayers...they are both doing better but still have a long road to travel until they are fully healed. I have been humbled by the support the fandom has given both of them whether the fandom members knew them or not...I am so proud to be a member of a group that pulls together to constantly help others in all forms...Thank you...**

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Getting To Know Each Other**

The dinner I had with James ended with us agreeing that we would spend some time to get to know each other. After dinner, he took me home and held my hand as he walked me up to my condo, then gave me a quick kiss good night on my cheek. It seemed like after I approached the subject of what had happened the night we first met, he toned down his emotions to help me ease my nerves.

All night he was a complete gentleman and I wondered why I had ever doubted that in the first place. I'm sure it had to do with the fact that I hadn't really had any real relationships in my life. I had gone to dances in high school and went out on some dates through college, but for most people my age, I was inexperienced. I never had a boyfriend per se…as I think back, the longest I ever dated someone was for five, maybe six, dates. I'm sure it had something to do with my shyness and not having a high opinion of myself.

Most people thought I was rather old fashioned. I came from a conservative family. My parents were high school sweethearts who had me when they were young. When I was twelve I remember seeing how much in love they were by the mutual respect they gave each other. So it was devastating when my mom became sick and died only a year later. My father was devastated and he made me the center of his existence. He only wanted the best for me and that led him to being over protective, especially when it came to boys. He knew I longed for more than what a small farming town had to offer and he was willing to do anything to make sure that I was able to reach my goals and dreams. The problem was that I still had dreams, but it didn't seem like I had made any progress towards achieving them.

Over the next few weeks, James seemed to always be around. It was strange and I really didn't understand how he could do it, but he was always there offering to drive me to work and pick me up when work was over. If he couldn't do it himself, Laurent would be there waiting for me in his absence. No matter how many times he tried to explain to me what he did for a living, I never really understood. I knew he worked for his dad but I had never really been interested in politics, so I just assumed he would have been very busy during the day with things to do. On the contrary, he always tried to take me out for lunch, and when I couldn't get away he brought me something to make sure I ate. On the days I had to work both jobs, he would have take-out waiting when I walked out of the Art Institute, and was waiting to take me home. On those nights, I would invite him in. I felt like it was the least I could do to show my gratitude, even though I still thought it was weird. Despite the amount of time we were spending together, I felt as if I wasn't really getting to know him better. We talked all the time, but it all seemed to be superficial. He seemed to know a lot about me and where I was from, but when I inquired about him he was vague or changed the subject. So I couldn't understand why he was being so persistent in his pursuit of me? It seemed like he was doing everything he could to capture my attention. But I still couldn't understand why…

I needed to talk to someone about it, but Rose, my confidant, was out of town and wouldn't be home for a few more days. I thought about talking to Angela, but that just seemed weird since she was my boss and all. So on Wednesday when Laurent came by to pick me up, I declined the ride telling him I had to meet up with a friend. I caught the bus and I decided I would head over to Moran's and see if Emmett was there. He was the one who introduced me James, so I figured out that he might be able to answer some of the questions I had about James.

When I arrived, the bar was somewhat empty. There were a handful of patrons there having what appeared to be an after work drink, or maybe some dinner. I looked around but didn't see Emmett. I wondered if he was even there. I decided to approach the bar and get a beer, and then tried to work up my nerve to ask if he was around.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked.

"A black and tan please," I answered, while scanning the place again to see if I could see Emmett anywhere.

A few minutes later, the bartender placed a perfectly poured black and tan in front of me.

"Can I get you anything else?"

"No, this is fine. How much do I owe you?" I inquired.

"Nothing, it's on the house," he stated while nodding to someone over my shoulder.

Just as I was about to turn around and see who it was, I heard a familiar voice that immediately brought a smile to my face. "Look what the cat drug in." I was then quickly enveloped into a huge bear hug which sucked the air out of me.

"Emmett, let the poor girl go. It looks like she's turning blue," the bartender chuckled.

"Oh, sorry. Thanks for letting me know Tyler…I'm just so excited to see little B here. Bella, this is Tyler my best bartender," he boomed, while gesturing across the bar. "But I'm sure he already introduced himself, since he does that with all the pretty girls who come in here." He then winked at me.

I quickly extended my hand to Tyler, "Nice to meet you. Does your boss here always harass you like this?"

"Nope, only in front of a lovely lady who I was hoping to persuade to give me her number before she left," he said sheepishly while glaring over at Emmett.

"Oh, sorry dude…" Emmett chastised Tyler while reaching over the bar to slap him on the shoulder. "I hung back as long as I could…you must be a little slow on your game tonight."

"On that note, I think I'll leave now. It was nice meeting you Bella. Hope to see you around her again." Tyler stated while giving me a small smile and heading down to attend to another customer who had just arrived.

"So, what brings you in tonight? Missing Rose as much as I am?" he confessed with a wink.

"I'm not really sure. I've actually had a lot on my mind lately and just wanted to see a familiar face, and with Rose out of town, I thought maybe you could answer a few questions for me," I said while looking down at the drink sitting in front of me.

"Well, by the way you are staring at that glass in front of you it seems serious. Just give me a chance to grab something from the kitchen for us to eat and drink, and we can head up to my office. How does that sound?"

"Emmett, you're probably busy and I don't want to impose," I said quietly hoping not to offend him.

"Hey Bella, look at me. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to come by here. I know how much Rose cares for you and if she can't be here for you to talk to, then I guess I'm going to have to take her place. Just wait here and I'll be back in less than five minutes."

Once Emmett left I picked up my drink and drank it slowly at first, but by the time he was back I had finished it. I guess I was more nervous than I thought about this conversation.

Tyler being the attentive bartender he was, was all ready to put a fresh drink down just as Emmett was coming back to get me.

"Hey, can you have one of the waitresses bring that, a Goose Island Oktoberfest and the food I ordered up to my office when it's ready. Just make sure you knock before coming in."

"You got it boss," Tyler crooned as he gave Emmett a mocked salute.

"Thanks now stop ogling Bella that way. She's a friend of Rose's and if she saw you eyeing her up the way you've been, she'd kick you in the ass." Emmett had to get in one last dig before he pointed in the directions of the stairs that lead to the upstairs patio. Halfway up the stairs there was a landing with a door which lead to Emmett's office. Once the door was open, I was greeted by two enthusiastic dogs.

"Hey guys back up and let Bella in," he commanded, as he encouraged me to enter. "I hope you don't mind dogs…they are really harmless."

"No, of course not, I love animals. I grew up on a farm you know." I hoped to ease his nerves. "So are these yours?"

"Yes they are my pride and joy. Kola is the larger one. I rescued her from PAWS after she was abandoned on the south side. She's some sort of mix breed. I think she is part German Shepherd and Husky. The little guy over here is Kevin; he was a Chihuahua stray I found in the neighborhood. He was very sick when I first found him, but Kola and I, with the help of my vet, nursed him back to health. So this is my little family," he boosted just like any proud father would.

"Well, how do you do?" I questioned, as I leaned down and proceeded to get wet kisses from each of them.

"Sorry, Bella I should have warned you that they can be a little over affectionate."

"Don't worry, like I said before, I love animals and they are just trying to say hi."

Just as I stood up, there was knock on the door. Emmett walked over to open it, and just like on my birthday, the waitress was holding a tray of food along with our drinks. Emmett instructed her to just set it on his desk which she did and then left. When he closed the door my stomach rumbled.

"Bella, just relax and grab something to eat. Based on what I just heard it sounds like you haven't eaten all day."

I walked over and grabbed the salad and then settled onto the couch. Emmett placed our drinks on the cocktail table in front of the couch before grabbing a plate of nachos for himself. Kola and Kevin quickly took up residence together on a comfy looking dog bed in the corner.

"So, B what's up?" he casually questioned.

"Well, I'm not sure if Rose told you but James, the guy from the game, has taken me out on a few dates."

"That's great!" Emmett responded enthusiastically. "I'm glad to hear that. With all the time I've been spending with Rose, I thought you actually might be resenting me a little."

"Emmett, I could never do that. You make Rose happy and I could never resent anyone who did that for her," I countered with a genuine smile gracing my face.

"Thanks, she makes me happy too. But that's not why you're here is it?"

"No… it's not. I…I'm not really sure how to start," I stammered out. "James is a really nice guy and all, but I really don't know much about him and when we are together he tends to be elusive about himself and change the subject. I was hoping that you could tell me a little more about him since he is a friend of yours. You did introduce us after all."

"Sure Bella, ask away."

Emmett and I talked over the next few hours. He answered all the questions I had, and by the end it felt like I knew better who James was. The problem was that I still didn't see what he saw in me.

"Well to be honest, I'm not sure what he sees in me. From what you just told me, he must have women throwing themselves at him."

"Bell's you don't see yourself clearly. Anyone who just sees your smile knows you're a great catch," he declared. "You're fun, thoughtful, kind, generous, caring, bubbly and carefree. Oh, and don't forget a knockout," he finished while shooting me a wink.

I felt the heat on my chest and face from the blush that appeared after Emmett's compliment, while I gave him a quiet, "Thanks, you are much too kind." I then leaned over to give him a hug, but to my surprise, he actually hugged me harder and kissed me on the cheek.

He pulled back and looked at me. "I feel like you're the little sister I never had. You have to understand that if anyone and I mean anyone, treats you badly, they will have to deal with me. If I have to, I will kick their ass," He finished, while chuckling like a little boy. "Sorry, I hope I didn't just freak you out just now. You need to know that you can rely on me if you ever need to."

"Thanks Emmett, that means a lot, but hopefully I'll never need to take you up on it," I responded as I leaned over and nudged him with my shoulder.

The more we talked, the more I felt he was like the big brother I always wished I had. He not only answered my questions about James, but also tried to help me boost my self confidence. He told me how pretty, caring and thoughtful I was to others. He also said he felt blessed to have me as a friend.

Once I confided in him that I really hadn't dated much, Emmett encouraged me to remember that even though James was in the picture I shouldn't lose sight that there were other fish in the sea. He made sure I knew he wasn't kidding when he made the comments about Tyler when I was down sitting at the bar. He reminded me to make sure that even if I was only dating James, to make sure I took time for my friends; stressing that no one should ever monopolize all of my time. I could tell down deep that he truly cared for me and wanted me to be happy, no matter what or who I chose to be with.

When we ended our conversation, Emmett had me promise that I would come to the Halloween party he was hosting the following week. He let me know that Alice & Rose had already accepted his invitation, and felt it would be a great way for us to all enjoy ourselves like we did before he, James, and Jasper came into the picture.

Once the party was mentioned and he stated that we had to dress up, I knew right away what I wanted us girls to dress up as.

He then walked me outside and hailed a cab for me. He gave me a big hug before putting me in the back and handing the driver some money telling him my address and to make sure he got me home safe.

**~o0o~**

Just as I walked into the condo, I heard a beep alerting me that I had a text message. Once inside, I grabbed my phone to look at the text.

**Laurent said you went out with a friend, wish I could have been there…Hope you had a good time now that you've arrived home safely…Sleep well…I will see you in the morning to take you to work… Love- James**

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**Thanks again for reading... Reviews are greatly appreciated...they really don't take long and do help me see if I'm doing a good job...if you click on the button below and leave some love I might be able to get Edward to give us his view in Chapter 10... :) Oh, and reviewers get teasers...**

**Until next Thursday**

**~ChiTWiGal**


	9. Chapter 9 Change Is In The Air

**Disclaimer: All things belong to SM...I don't have much at the moment except for a reservation for dinner on Saturday night...oh, and this story is all mine... :)**

**A/N: I need to thank the fantastic ladies that help me make this story what it is...they are mommakal who betas the heck out of the chapters... & NJNYTwiGal-H, tg10781 & Basketgirl...they make sure I keep the story on track & that it makes sense...I love you all!**

**Thanks to all of you who read, review & have put me on alert...it really does mean the world to me.**

**Again I would ask you to keep Trayce/MonAmour & Ally/ChampagneAnyone in your thoughts and prayers...they both still have a long road to travel until they are fully healed. Additionally I would ask you add Bellabee66 & Teacher1209's father to that list. I continue to be humbled by the support the fandom gives others in need whether the fandom members knows them or not...I am so proud to be a member of a group that pulls together to constantly help others in all forms...You all should be proud…**

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**Chapter 9 – Change is in the Air**

The next morning came too quickly as I heard my alarm blaring, telling me it was time to get up. I tossed and turned all night as my mind tried to sort through all the information I had gotten from Emmett the night before. We talked more about his family and how close they all were. He mentioned his brother Edward, who was two years older than he was and how instrumental he was in helping him in becoming as successful as he was.

Emmett told me that Rose had been talking to him for about a month before my birthday, trying to get tickets for both the game and the U2 concert. Emmett had connections for the Cubs, so those tickets were easy to get. He had originally planned for it to be a day out with his brothers while getting tickets for Rose, Alice and I. He didn't know until the day before that we would all be sitting together. At the last minute, Edward was not able to go because, as he put it, 'something came up'. While Emmett was out getting coffee in the morning and was asking the barista if they knew anyone looking to sell some U2 tickets for one of the upcoming concerts, James happened to walk in. James overheard the conversation Emmett was having and chimed in, offering to see if his dad could maybe help Emmett out. James made a few phone calls and they were able to come up with the idea of doing something at Metro that night. Emmett said he felt obligated to offer the spare ticket he had to James.

My head was still spinning since all along I had thought James being at the game was a set up, but I was wrong. Maybe he was truly interested in me based on our interactions at the game, and then later at Metro.

Once I was able to get a hold of the thoughts in my head, I got up and took a quick shower knowing that I had lingered too long after the alarm went off. I decided to pull my hair up into a messy ponytail and quickly do my make-up so I would be presentable. I threw on my favorite pair of jeans and a plain black turtle neck sweater since they were calling for the temperature only to be in the high fifties.

As I was just about to grab my purse and keys, I heard my phone chirp. I grabbed it and took a quick look to see it was James.

B- Waiting down stairs. Hurry or you'll be late…and it's raining. – J

As I read his text I couldn't help but feel a smile grace my face. This was the first time I was truly excited to see James first thing in the morning.

When I got down to the lobby James was inside waiting with a huge umbrella in his hand. I walked over to him quickly giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi," I whispered, as I took in the look of shock which was evident on his face.

"Well…good morning to you," he countered exuberantly.

With that, he grabbed my hand and ushered me out of the door, but not before opening the umbrella to make sure I didn't get a drop of rain on me while walking the fifteen feet to the curb where his car was parked. As always, he opened my door and waited until I was in before closing it. He then ran to get into the other side.

"So how was your evening last night?" James asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"It was great. How was yours?"

"It could have been better," he said with sadness in his voice. "So Laurent said you went to meet up with a friend," he continued, more like a question then as a statement.

"Yes, Rose has been gone for over a week now and I was really missing her, so I went and saw Emmett." I answered so that he wouldn't have to ask where I went.

"Oh, Emmett. Why Emmett?"

"Well, Rose has been spending a lot of her time with him, so I figured he would also be missing her and that we could both miss her together," I tried to reason.

"So did you do anything special?"

"No, I just surprised him at Moran's and we sat in his office and talked." I responded just as James had pulled up to Uncommon Grounds. "In fact, did your ears start ringing at all last night?"

"No, why?"

"Well, because we didn't talk just about Rose. We also talked about you," I divulged, while giving him a big smile.

"And what, per say, did Emmett say about me?" James cautiously asked.

"Well, he told me that you were instrumental in helping with U2, even before you had met me." I started to continue, but James chimed in before I could get the next words out.

"Did he say anything else?" I could hear the apprehension in his voice.

"He did, but nothing that would make me feel any differently then I feel right now."

James turned and reached for my hand. "Bella, what do you mean by that?" he questioned with both his eyes and his words.

"Well, I always had questioned why you were interested in me and whether or not you might be doing this out of some form of obligation to someone," I responded while looking down at our joined hands.

"Bella, please look at me," he pleaded and when I looked up I saw trepidation on his face. "I am interested in you because you are a beautiful, fun loving and unique woman. I just feel lucky to have been in the right place at the right time to have met you."

"Thank you," was all I could muster before James leaned over the center console and placed a gentle yet sensual kiss on my lips.

When he pulled away, he chuckled while looking over my shoulder, "I think I better let you go and let your co-workers in before they start thinking of questions to ask you.

I immediately felt heat in my cheeks from the blush which I knew was appearing. I was just hoping they weren't able to see the kiss that James and I just had. Before I could say anything, James had opened his door and grabbed the umbrella from the back seat and headed over to my side. As always, he opened the car door and extended his hand to help me out while making sure not a single drop of water landed anywhere on me. I could feel my co-workers watching me as I struggled to unlock the door. Once opened, James held the door for the rest of them and then followed in behind. I rushed to the back to turn off the alarm. When I came back out front, James was sitting at one of the tables.

"You know we don't open for another 30 minutes right?"

"Well, do you mind if I just wait inside? It's a little wet out there," he said while he motioned with his hand over his shoulder and then gave me a quick wink. "Also, I wanted to see you work. I'm sure I could lose myself in watching you all day long."

How was I to respond to that other than by nodding my head and exiting quickly before blushing deeper than I had ever done in the past? Luckily when I returned to the back room, neither Liam nor Sienna asked me any questions. They just continued on with the preparations for opening on time.

James stayed until the end of my shift, watching me work while pretending to read the paper. He bought five cups of coffee and put a ten dollar tip in the jar each time. When I was done, he took me to lunch before driving me back to the condo. As we pulled up in front, he apologized for not being able to spend the rest of the afternoon with me but he had some things he needed to do for his dad. He did promise to call me later though. I told him I understood and would be waiting for his call. As always he got out to open my door and walked me into the lobby before kissing me goodbye. As soon as I got onto the elevator to ride up to my floor knees almost buckled as I felt a wave of emotion come over me. Maybe I was starting to fall for him.

**~o0o~**

Over the next few weeks, James and I spent most of my non-working waking hours together. He picked me up every day and drove me to and from work. I was extremely grateful for this since the weather had turned colder and it seemed to be raining most days. We went out to dinners, the movies and one night he even took me to see the Chicago Symphony.

That night was so special for me. I had never been to the symphony, but had always wanted to go. It was a complete surprise where we were going, as all James had told me was to wear a dress. So, after work that day, I went back the condo and put on the little black dress I kept for special occasion. I really didn't have anything else since I didn't go out much. When we arrived at Symphony Center I was shocked and a little worried that I was underdressed. As we got out of the car at the valet stand I saw women walking in wearing long flowing gowns, fur stoles and glittering jewels with their escorts in tuxedos.

"Is something wrong Bella?" James inquired when I was frozen in the spot I was in when I stepped out of the car.

"No…this is just a little overwhelming for me. I've never been to the symphony before and I feel a little out of place," I mumbled in response.

"Why do you feel out of place?"

"Just look at me. I don't even have the correct clothing on," I stated while looking down at the simple black sheath dress I had picked up off the sale rack at Marshall Field's.

With that comment, James put his arm around my waist and pulled me flush against his side. "You Bella are the most beautiful woman here. You don't need a fancy dress or jewelry to look pretty. You are simply exquisite by just being you." He finished off his statement by placing a long soft kiss on my lips. Once he pulled away he gave me a smile and wink. "Now let's get inside so we can enjoy the show." With that said he grabbed my hand and led me inside.

As we approached the entrance, the usher greeted James as Mr. Volturi and directed us inside to the amazing lobby. I found myself gawking at the unique way the lobby was decorated. The white walls brought a clean, yet unexpected, modern look to the space. Off to the sides were a few bars with patrons milling around. When I took a closer look, I realized that the bars were all fashioned after double basses lying on their sides. As we stepped further in I heard James say something.

"What?" I inquired sounding somewhat confused.

"I asked if you wanted some champagne or something else to drink before we head up to our seats," he chuckled while he took in the awe he saw on my face.

"Umm…that would be nice, but only if you want to…" I let stumble out.

James continued to look at me with a smile on his face. "Bella, this night is about you and what you want. I know this is a new experience for you and I want to make sure you enjoy it to its fullest extent."

"Well then yes, let's have a glass of champagne to celebrate," I said, feeling a bit more confident.

James then placed his hand at the small of my back and led me towards one of the bars. While we waited to be served, a number other patrons approached James to say hello. Each time this occurred, James immediately introduced me to them stating, "I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Bella Swan." Girlfriend? No one has ever introduced me as their girlfriend before.

After some idle chit-chat, it was our turn to be served. James asked the bartender for two glasses of Dom Perignon. Once the glasses were poured and paid for, James handed me my glass while he took his and raised it saying, "To the most stunning woman in Chicago. May this be the first of many firsts we have together."

He brought his glass up to mine and gave it a slight tap before we both took a sip. When I looked up from my glass, I was mesmerized by the intense look in his eyes. It was if he was trying to tell me something without speaking a word. Before I could ask him what he was thinking, he had stepped closer so that our bodies were touching. His free hand gently cupped my cheek and he leaned in and placed a soft, tender open-mouthed kiss on my lips. I found myself responding immediately. I moved my lips with his as the kiss became more intense. Suddenly, a distracting dinging sound pulled me out of the moment and reminded me we weren't alone. I pulled away and I'm sure the look on my face was one of shear embarrassment. It was as if the sound I had heard was a way to tell us this was an inappropriate place to show such affection.

James leaned forward and whispered into my ear, "It's just the chimes to tell us to proceed to our seat. The concert will be starting in five minutes. Oh... and I must say, that was quite the kiss. Thank you." He placed a final kiss just below my ear before he took my hand in his to lead me up a small flight of stairs to our box seats.

When we arrived at the entrance to the Symphony Hall, the usher greeted James as Mr. Volturi and asked if his parent would be joining us that evening. "No, it will just me Miss Swan and myself this evening." He then offered to take our empty glasses and asked if we were interested in having a drink waiting for us during intermission, to which James acknowledged would be perfect.

James then directed me to our seats at the front of the box. Again, I could feel my mouth gape open taking in the beauty of the Hall. The walls were white like the lobby, but there were ornate gold embellishments adorning the walls and ceiling. They were not overpowering as you see in some theatres, but instead thoughtfully placed. I attributed this to the fact that music was what this space was specifically used for and was built for acoustics_._ My eyes were then drawn to the blood red velvet chairs. They continued down to the low wall in front of the box and noticed a small gold plate with the inscription "Volturi" on it. As I looked out, I could see the stage perfectly since the box we were in was located directly in the center of the hall.

"So, do you like the seats?" James whispered into my ear while standing directly behind me.

I turned to face him. "They are perfect. Thank you again for bringing me."

With that, he directed me to my seat and sat directly to my right. He told me we would be hearing works by Beethoven for the piano tonight with Vladimir Feltsman being the featured pianist. The lights dimmed and I felt James put his arm around my shoulders while his other hand reached out to grab mine.

As the concert continued on, I felt my body relax more into James'. The calm serenity of the music as it flowed from the instruments captivated my mind, body and soul. It was the most soothing experience I had ever had in my life and I had James to thank for it. Throughout the concert, James rubbed small circles over my knuckles while periodically bringing my hand up to his lips to place small kisses along my fingers and palm. I was surprised that I didn't feel awkward or ashamed of him displaying such intimate gestures in public. Even though the lights were low, I knew that someone had to notice what he was doing, but it just didn't seem to matter. It just felt so perfect and right.

When the concert ended, we rose for the ovation showing our gratitude for the lovely music which was performed. As the other patrons started to leave, James held me close to him as he stood behind me with his hands around my waist. He gently moved my hair to one side and leaned down to kiss my neck before whispering, "I had the most amazing time with you here tonight. I hope that you enjoyed it and will want to come back with me again."

Once the words left his mouth, a huge smile graced my face and I could feel myself blushing. I slowly turned in his arms to face him, snaking my hand behind his head and looking him straight in the eye. "I have never felt so alive than when I heard this beautiful music. Thank you for bringing me and for letting me experience this with you." I then leaned in to show James with my kiss what I couldn't say with words.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading... Reviews are greatly appreciated...they really don't take long and do help me see if I'm doing a good job...if you click on the button below and leave some love Oh, and reviewers get teasers...**

**I got some great news yesterday that this story and I have been nominated in three categories of the Gem Awards… Voting is currently open and continues through September 1****st****.. Please go and vote for your favorites at www(dot)gemawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com**

**Thank you to whomever nominated me it was a great surprise and very very very unexpected.**

**Finally, do to some issues including a case of writers block I might not be posting at my normal time next week. I will do my best to post Chapter 10 as soon as I can and it will be from EPOV… Please accept my apology for not staying on my posting schedule.**

**~ChiTWiGal**


	10. Chapter 10 Going Home

**Disclaimer: All things belong to SM...I only have $4 in my wallet at the moment so maybe she can give me a loan...oh, and this story is all mine... :)**

**A/N: I need to thank the fantastic ladies that help me make this story what it is...they are mommakal who betas these chapters and trust me it's a tough job... & NJNYTwiGal-H, tg10781 & Basketgirl...they make sure I keep the story on track & that it makes sense...I love you all!**

**I need to give special shout outs to both AFMtoo & HongKongPhooey for all the special help they provided me this time around...but don't go too far away because I am sure to need your help again.. *MWAH*!**

**Thanks to all of you who read, review & have put me on alert...it really does mean the world to me.**

**Again I would ask you to keep Trayce/MonAmour, Ally/ChampagneAnyone & Bellabee66 in your thoughts and prayers...they all still have a long road to travel until they are fully healed. I continue to be humbled by the support the fandom gives others in need whether the fandom members knows them or not...LadyTazz7 has set up a blog for those needing support from those who need prayers or positive thoughts. Please visit at www(dot)heartoffandom(dot)blogspot(dot)com**

**Now without further delay...**

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**Chapter 10 – Going Home**

**EPOV**

It was a cold rainy day outside as I occupied my normal seat in the coffee shop. Bella was there, as usual, with her amazing smile and bubbly personality. I had finally worked up the nerve to talk to her and asked if she would be willing to sit with me during her break. She had cheerfully agreed. So I sat and watched her work as I waited for her to join me. I occasionally caught her glancing at me between customers and when we made eye contact, I granted her a wink. An enticing blush would immediately grace her face. I loved that blush more than anything else about her. It reminded me how innocent she seemed and that she didn't see herself as the magnificent creature I knew she was.

I looked up again after taking a sip of my coffee and Bella nodded to me and mouthed 'I'll be there in one minute'. She then took her bottom lip between her teeth and turned away from me. I felt my body react immediately. I felt my pants instantly became tighter, so I reached down to fidget with myself while she was away. Who would have thought just her mouthing of words and biting of a lip would cause such an abrupt and intense response.

A few minutes later, Bella sauntered over towards me like a cat getting ready to pounce on her prey. As she got closer I noticed her eyes were somewhat hooded and she slowly dragged her tongue across her bottom lip. When that happened, my arousal got even harder and was trying to bust through the zipper of my pants. She came up beside me and leisurely ran her fingers from the tips of mine, up my arm to the base of my neck. Then she leaned down and whispered into my ear, "Edward, I've been…"

My office door swung open forcefully, and I was startled as I was suddenly witness to an argument between Garrett, my assistant, and Lauren, the woman I was training to be our European operations manager.

"Miss Mallory, you cannot just go barging into Mr. Cullen's office like that."

"I can do as I damn well please. Mr. Cullen had an appointment with me 20 minutes ago and I'm not going to sit around waiting anymore. My time is very precious and I will not be made to wait!"

Oh, no. What had happened? One moment I was having the best dream about finally talking to Bella, and the next thing I knew I was in my worst nightmare with Lauren in my office screaming at Garrett and shooting daggers at me with her eyes.

"Well, look at you," Lauren huffed. "Have you been taking a nice little nap while I was waiting outside? You would think that after two weeks here you would finally be on London time."

She was right. I probably did look like I had just woken up. I grabbed my hair with one hand, while my other hand tried to fiddle with the other problem further down below before anyone noticed.

This trip had been the first where I had problems getting used to time change. I did everything I always did when I arrived; stayed up late, drank lots of water and made sure I exercised by taking a run through Hyde Park. For some reason it didn't work this time. Every night since I arrived, I found myself tossing and turning in bed while thinking about Bella. No woman has ever had that kind of affect on me. I wish I could have blamed my lack of sleep on the hotel I was staying in, but the fact was I had stayed at the Sheraton Park Tower many times before. The hotel was beautiful on the inside and out, boasting panoramic views of Hyde Park and the London skyline. It was perfectly located near shopping such as Harrods, Harvey Nichols and also some of London's chic dining haunts. Everything I could ever want away from home was located within, or just steps away, and if I needed something there was a fantastic staff to help. For the last year this hotel had become my home away from home. One would think I would have always found it comfortable to stay here.

A few days after I arrived, I found myself wandering the hotel lobby at night trying to clear my mind. I would look at the time and I would think about Bella and wonder what she was doing. I wondered if she had gotten home from work safely of if she was out enjoying herself with friends, but mostly I was haunted by thoughts of her spending times with James. When I thought of James, I kept picturing him kissing her that night at Metro. I wondered how long they had known each other and whether or not they were truly a couple. The problem was I couldn't ask anyone. My brothers didn't know I was at the club that night. They didn't know I had been watching her at the coffee shop, and most of all they didn't know I had followed her when I would see her walking along the lake front. She had captivated me like no one else had done before.

After a few nights of aimlessly pacing around the hotel or doing midnight workouts in the gym, I knew that the only thing that might help me would be if I could play a piano. This had always been the one thing that was a sure fire way to calm my nerves, allowing my mind and body to relax. Luckily for me, there was a grand piano located in the lobby bar that the hotel manager had given me permission to play at night after the bar was closed for the evening. I found myself there every night playing for hours on end until I was too tired to think anymore. Then I would drag myself back to my room where I would collapse due to exhaustion, but the minute I closed my eyes all I could see was Bella's creamy skin and large inviting chocolate eyes; which resulted in another few hours of restless sleep.

As the days went on I found myself spending more and more time at the piano at night. Instead of playing some of my favorites, I started to play around with a melody that constantly popped into my head. I found that every night I was able to expand it a little more until it was complete; it was a melody inspired by her which I couldn't wait to play for her.

"Earth to Edward, are you there?" Lauren flippantly asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I rose from my chair and proceeded to give Lauren a piece of my mind. "Lauren, I don't care who you are. No one has the right to barge their way into anyone's office. It is just bad manners and I will not have anyone with manners like that representing my company. You apologize to Garrett immediately, and if I ever hear of this happening again you will no longer be employed by this firm."

"I'm…sorry…Garret I should have listened to you," she stumbled on her words which were barely above a whisper.

"Mr. Cullen, is there anything else you need at the moment?" Garrett questioned.

"No, that will be all Garrett, thank you." Garrett then turned around and left, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry Edward, but the last few weeks you have seemed to be out of sorts. You've been uncharacteristically unprepared and late for meetings. I'm worried that you are ill or something and keeping it to yourself."

"I'm fine Lauren, I'm just in a little bit of a funk and hoping that by the time I leave here, you will be able to step up and start leading these operations on your own."

"What do you mean by that? When you leave you're not going to be coming back?" Lauren said with reservation in her voice.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. That has always been the plan and to be honest with you, I would really like to be home for more than just a few weeks a year."

"Have you ever thought about making your home here in London? It's a beautiful city, has lots of culture and we could spend more time together," she countered while looking down at the ground.

"I'm surprised to hear that you would want me to stay. I thought you understood what was going to be expected of you when you were hired."

"I did, but I have grown very um…fond of you... and think we could make a good pair."

"Are you saying what I think your saying?" I questioned, raising my eyebrow to emphasize my point. "I'm sorry but there is a special someone back in Chicago and that is where I am determined to be. The sooner I am able to return there, the happier I will be."

"You've never mentioned anyone before. I could also make you happy if you'd just let me."

"Lauren based on that comment alone I could fire you, but if I did that I would be back to square one and not be able to relocate back to Chicago permanently. We have talked about this enough so let's move on and get this over with before I get any angrier with you."

As the day dragged on, Lauren, who was now even more irritated with me, and I reviewed the various projects that were in progress. As I sat and listened to Lauren's assessments of the projects we reviewed that day, my mind started to drift again.

I needed and wanted to do something to make sure that Bella knew I hadn't forgotten about her. My mind and heart both told me to send something that would remind her that I was still thinking about her, but that would also have hidden meaning. No matter how hard I had tried, I wasn't able to come up with anything to send her. I finally opted to spend part of my night walking about Knightsbridge to see if I could find anything in the windows.

After I had walked around for hours and found nothing, I decided to head back to my hotel to try to relax. When I arrived in my room, I ordered room service which included two vodkas on the rocks. I decided then to call Emmett to see if I could crash with him until I found a place of my own when I went back to Chicago.

"Hey, bro what's happening?"

"Edward is that you? We thought you disappeared. You never showed up at Metro to see Jasper or U2, and then by the time I got up the next morning you were already gone. If I hadn't have heard from you by Friday I was going to file a missing person report." Emmett said while chuckling.

"Sorry about that. Some things came up that I needed to take care of," I responded sheepishly.

"Bro, are you okay? I've never heard you almost apologize for not showing up somewhere."

"I'm fine, I've just have a lot on my mind. I'm hoping that by this time next week, I will be making my last trip to Heathrow having left Lauren Mallory as the Managing Director of Masen Cullen Holdings European operations."

"Wait, what did you just say Edward?" Emmet prodded, "It sounded like you said you were coming home for good."

"Well, that's the plan and I was hoping that maybe I could sleep on your couch until I could get a pad of my own. What do you think? Can we be roommates?"

"Roommates? How long are you planning on staying for?" Emmett said sounding very excited.

"Until I can find a place of my own, so probably a year or two," I joked, just trying to see how closely he was listening. "Why, do you have a hot girl or something living with you now?"

"Hey there bro, things have changed over the last few weeks." He sounded annoyed. "Her name is Rosalie and she is not just some girl. She's my girlfriend and she does spend the night occasionally. Do you think you would have a problem with that? I mean sometimes she can get a little loud if you know what I mean," he finished off laughing at his own innuendo.

"Okay, okay, I get it. But dude, I don't need to be talking to you about what you and …what did you say her name was…oh yeah, Rosalie, do when she stays over."

"Well that's because your just jealous and don't have anyone at the moment. Maybe I can hook you up with Rose's roommate."

"Uh…I don't know about that. Wouldn't Rose think that was a little weird with it being her roommate and me being your brother?"

"I don't think so; I mean Jasper is dating Alice who is friends with both Rose and Bella." Emmett said this just as I had taken a sip of my drink and before I knew it, I was choking and spitting it out all over the place.

"Edward, are you okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine. It just went down the wrong pipe," I quickly countered, hoping to be convincing. After I got my cough under control I continued, "So, Jasper & you both have girls now? I guess I'll be the fifth wheel when I get home."

"So you are really being serious this time? You're going to move back?"

"Yep, it looks like I am, and honestly I can't wait," I almost yelled with excitement.

"So, when will you be getting back?"

"I've currently got a flight booked to leave London on October 31st. I'm hoping I will be there in time to attend your famous Halloween Party. You are having it again this year?"

"Of course I am, but even if I wasn't, I would be now that I know you will be here for it," The excitement was evident in his voice. "What time will your flight land?"

"I should be in by 3:30 pm local time if all goes well. That should give me enough time to get to your place to shower, take a nap and get ready before the party really gets going. Don't you think?"

"Yes it should work out perfect. Rose, Alice and Bella will all be there so you will be able to meet them," he stated matter-of-factly. "Oh, and don't forget you will need a costume. If you want, I can take care of that for you."

Since I could hear the wheels turning in his head through the phone, I answered him quickly, "No that's okay. I have an idea in mind and will make sure I get my own costume."

"Okay, suit yourself," he said while chuckling. "Well I better get back to work. I have a lot to do now with you coming home."

"See you soon, and tell everyone at home I say hi."

"Will do bro, take care."

I hung up the phone and started to ponder what my costume should be for the party. I needed something that would keep me somewhat anonymous, but also something that Bella would think was alluring. After coming up with a few ideas my mind started to wander to her again. I needed to find something to send her so that she knew I was coming back soon, but I was still at a loss.

**~o0o~**

The following morning flew by. Lauren seemed to have finally understood what her role was and that she would be taking over when I left. When our meeting started she was all business and was so focused that she even wanted to work through lunch, but I had other plans.

"Lauren, I need to step out for about two hours. How about we reconvene here in my office at 2pm?" I asked nicely instead of telling her.

"That will be fine Edward. There are actually a few things in the files I would like to go over one more time before reviewing them with you, and that will give me time to do it. Enjoy yourself," Lauren finished off saying in a very businesslike manner.

With that, I stood up, grabbed my overcoat and left my office. I stepped outside and grabbed a cab. "Selfridge's please," were my directions to the driver. Once there, I got out and went directly to the gift department. I had no idea what I was looking for but hoped that when I saw it, it would just jump out at me. I started to look around and saw some lovely things but nothing caught my eye.

"Excuse me sir," a soft voice called from behind me. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

I turned to see a striking young lady standing behind me wearing a name tag that read 'Elizabeth'.

"I'm not really sure what I am looking for Elizabeth, I'll just know it when I see it," I responded.

"Is it for a special someone?" She inquired while she batted her eyelashes at me in a flirting sort of way.

"Yes, it is."

"Well, tell me about her and maybe I can help with some suggestions," she offered.

I told her about Bella, and how I had been away for a while and wanted to send her something so that she would know I was still out there, interested and trying to make my way back to be with her. Elizabeth listened intently and suddenly I saw a gleam in her eye.

"I think I know just what you are looking for. Follow me," she stated as she walked over to the other side of the room.

"What do you think of this for her?" she asked before continuing, "Based on what you told me, I think it portrays how you feel about her. It has beauty and charm, but most of all, it's simple and unique, just like her."

I looked at what she was holding in her hand and all I could say was, "It's perfect."

"Would you like me to wrap it for you?" Elizabeth asked while I followed her to the counter to pay.

"That would be lovely, and thank you for all your help. I'm sure Bella is going to love it."

Once I had paid and my purchase was wrapped, I started back to my office. When I arrived, I had 30 minutes before my meeting with Lauren was to begin. I took a piece of stationery and wrote the note I wanted to be included in the package.

I pressed the button for the intercom on my phone. "Garrett, could you please step into my office when you have a moment?"

"I'll be right in sir," he responded as he always did when I requested his presence.

"Mr. Cullen, how can I help you?"

"Garrett, I would like to you to send this gift and this note to this address," I instructed while I handing him the stack of items. "I need them to arrive no later than October 30th. Do you think that will be a problem?"

"No sir, we have more than a week so I can guarantee it will arrive on time."

"Thank you Garrett... and just a reminder, you may refer to me as Edward. We don't need to be so formal when others aren't around."

"Thank you sir, I'll try to remember that," he said while he nodded and turned to walk out of my office.

"No, thank you Garrett. That package is very important to me and I wouldn't trust it in anyone else's hands."

**~o0o~**

The rest of my time in London flew by without a hitch. I was able to tie up all the loose ends and before I knew it, the morning of October 31st had arrived. Knowing that I had no concrete plans to return to London, I decided to go for a run before sunrise to find the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens. On my first trip to London as a high school student, we were told that if you were able to touch Tinkerbell's wings before the sun had fully risen, you would be guaranteed to return to London one day.

I wanted and needed to do this because I had planned to one day show Bella the place that I considered my second home.

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	11. Chapter 11 Delivery and Deceit

**Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Ms. Meyers... I do own two ****prescription** meds that I got at the doctor this morning.

**The story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to steal it...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You :)**

**Again, I wouldn't be able to do it without these 4 awesome ladies, NJNYTwigal-H, Basketgirl, tg10781 and mommakal...without them the story wouldn't make sense and the grammar would just be unbearable**

**

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****Chapter 11 – Delivery and Deceit**

As I sat in the office of Uncommon Grounds counting the cash drawers from first shift, I dreaded the fact that I had agreed to work a double shift so that I wouldn't have to work the day after the Halloween party. I couldn't believe that it had arrived so quickly. The excitement I felt was overpowering since I hadn't done anything on Halloween for a number of years.

"Hey Bella…?" Leah called from the main area of the coffee house.

"I'm back here. What do you need?" I responded just as she walked into the back room.

"The Fed-Ex guy just dropped this off for you. And just so you know, I wouldn't mind if he came here more often. He truly was a fine specimen of a man." She finished while she fanned herself.

"Well then, I guess I should just start sending myself stuff through Fed-Ex so you can get your daily dose," I laughed out while bumping my shoulder into hers before taking the package.

I wondered why I would be getting a package here at the coffee shop when everyone I knew who would send me anything would have my address at the condo.

"So, who is it from?" inquired Leah while she tried to look at the return address on the box.

"I'm not sure, but it has a London address and I don't know anyone who lives in London."

"Well open it," Leah exclaimed while bouncing up and down.

"I will, but I need to finish what I'm in the middle of first."

"Oh, come on... please," she begged.

"I will if you promise to help me after we are done."

"Absolutely! Just get moving. I can't wait to see what it is," she bellowed as if she was waiting to open presents on Christmas morning.

Leah handed me a box cutter and watched patiently as I scored the tape which sealed the box. When I was finished, I slowly pulled up the flaps to reveal a crisp, white linen envelope with my name written in exquisite handwriting.

"So, what is it?" Leah asked, leaning over my shoulder.

"I'm not sure. Can I at least open the envelope first?" I forcefully said, letting her know I was annoyed.

I grabbed the envelope to open it and saw that it was just sealed at the very point of the flap. I could tell by the feel of the paper as I pulled it out that this was not some ordinary stationery. It was smooth and felt like fine linen. When I unfolded it, I noticed a monogram at the top. 'EAC' was done in a classic, yet simplistic, font which was in sharp contrast to the lovely writing the note was written in.

**Bella,**

**The butterfly counts not months, but moments, and has time enough. **

**I am sorry it has been so long since you have heard from me. I hope this small token will make up for my sudden absence and delay to get in touch with you again.**

**I will be back very soon and will reveal myself to you upon my return.**

**Yours,**

**E  
**

As I finished reading it, my breathing hitched and a shiver traveled across my body.

"So…Who's it from?" Leah said, pulling me back into the moment.

"The same person who left the rose for me a little over a month ago," I whispered in return.

"Really, what did the note say?"

"Here take a look for yourself," I answered and passed the note over to her. I then turned my attention back to the box sitting in front of me.

I removed the stuffing from inside of the shipping box and noticed what seemed to be a professionally wrapped gift box. The paper was a stunning royal blue, tied with a cream ribbon into a perfect bow at the top. I gently lifted the box out, admiring the external beauty of it while anticipation raced through my body of what could be inside. I carefully slid the ribbon from the box, keeping the perfect bow intact, and removed the paper with the precision of a skillful surgeon. Just as I was about to finish unwrapping the box, I heard Leah gasp behind me.

"Wow! Why can't I find anyone to write things to me like he does to you?" she was being playful, but I could detect a hint of jealousy. "Now hurry up and show me what's inside that box!"

The box, which was revealed when the paper was finally removed, was silver in color and had the word 'Baccarat' in red cursive in the lower right hand corner. I removed the lid of the box. Nestled in silver satin sat a simplistic, yet exquisite, purple butterfly. The color of it almost matched the exact color of the rose he had given me before he left. _How did he know I loved butterflies, and how was he able to find one the color of the most beautiful rose I had ever seen?_

"Move out the way. I can't see what it is," Leah chortled from behind.

"It's a butterfly," I said as I lifted it out of the box and turned to show it to her.

"It's not _just_ a butterfly, Bella. It's a Baccarat butterfly. That must have cost him a small fortune."

"Really?"

"Yes Bella, Baccarat is one of the finest crystals you can purchase." Leah responded as if it was common knowledge.

"And how would you know that?"

"Well, let's just say I might not have a man, but I am ready to start my gift registry once Mr. Right does come along." She laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"Give that back to me so I can put it away before you break it. We have money counting to do."

Leah handed the crystal butterfly back to me. I gently placed it back in the box and put the cover on before I moved it to a higher shelf until I left for the day.

**~o0o~**

The rest of the day flew by with lots of customers. It was almost closing time so I went to the back to quickly send Rose a text message.

**You coming home tonight? ~B**

**Yep, just about ready to leave the office. Is there a problem? ~R**

**No, no problem. Just was thinking about getting Chinese on my way & wanted to see if u wanted some. ~B**

**Sure, so you're not seeing J tonight? ~R**

**Nope. I worked a double today and told him I would be too tired. ~B**

**OK, get me my usual & I'll see you when you get home. ~R**

I knew when James dropped me off in the morning that I wouldn't see him that evening. He had something he had to do with his dad's campaign and would have had to come over later. I told him not to bother since I would be dead on my feet from working a double shift at the coffee house.

This had worked out perfect since it had allowed me time to talk to Rosalie about the gift and the note which came with it. I knew I had deep feelings for James. I also knew that whenever I got something from 'E' that my body reacted in a positive, yet different, way than it did to James.

When the shop was closed, I helped the employees do the final closing chores before I locked up and headed to pick up our order at New Peking. Rose and I frequented there so often that the owners knew our names.

With our bag of food in hand, I continued to walk the final few blocks to the condo. I had a weird feeling that someone was watching me like I had in the past. When I looked around however, there wasn't anything there, so I just picked up my pace.

"Hey Rose, you'll never believe what I got today," I yelled as I opened the condo door.

"What did you get?" Rose called out from her bedroom.

"You'll have to come out here and see," I teased.

"Come on Bells, we've both had a long days and I really don't like playing games right now," she responded, sounding annoyed.

"Okay, I got a delivery from London today at the coffee shop."

Rose stood there, bug- eyed and opened-mouth in front of me. "Where did you say the delivery came from?"

"London," I replied smugly, and scurried off to go get changed.

"Don't leave me hanging here Bella."

"Rose, just take a look at the note inside the envelope and then open the box on the breakfast bar," I shouted back.

When I walked back into the room, I could see that Rose still had a stunned look on her face and it didn't seem like she had even seen what was inside the box yet.

"So…cat got your tongue?" I joked.

Rose then slowly turned in my direction looking me directly in the eye, "I think my little Bellabee here has herself a secret admirer who really has it bad for her." Turning back, she grabbed the box off the counter, and then my hand, and led me to the couch.

"Aren't you hungry?" I inquired after I realized that the Chinese food was still sitting untouched.

"Food can wait Bella; we need to decipher what this note means." I agreed with Rosalie's decision and eagerly sat next to her on the couch.

"So, did you even look in the box yet?"

"No, I just kept reading the note," she answered. "Why… what's in the box?" she continued as her eyes got big like saucers.

Just as I was about to answer, there was a knock at the door. Rose and I both looked at each other as if to say, _'We gave Alice a key. Why does she always knock?'_

I stood from the couch to open the door. As I grabbed the handle, I began to scold Alice, "Al...could you use the key we gave you at some point?"

"Well it's nice to see you too baby, and if you want to give me a key, that would make things much easier," James chuckled; as I saw him standing there holding up what looked like a take-out bag from Maggiano's.

"Uh…how did you get here?" The question just stumbled out of my mouth.

"I drove of course," James quickly responded. Then he placed a kiss on my stunned lips as he walked past me into the condo. "Oh, and I brought dinner."

"But, I thought…I thought you said you had a fundraising event for your dad tonight?"

"I did, but I snuck out early so that I could have dinner with my sexy girlfriend after she had a very long day at work."

"Oh," was all I could muster up. I looked over to Rose who sat on the couch. She was just as stunned as I was.

James put his bag of take-out , on the breakfast bar, then noticed that the bag from New Peking sat there untouched.

"Looks like you got yourself dinner, but why aren't you eating it?" He looked between Rose, me and the box sitting on the coffee table, as he waited for an answer.

"Uh…well…Rose and I…"

"What Bella is trying to say is that I had a little surprise delivered to my office today. I was trying to figure out what the note meant and, if or how, I should tell Emmett about it?"

"Oh, really? What kind of surprise?" James inquired as he walked towards the couch.

"Nothing you would be interested in. Just a little trinket," Rose calmly answered as she shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal.

"Just humor me, will you Rose? I'll be able to tell you how I would react if the delivery would have been made to Bella," he countered, while he stared me directly in the eyes.

I immediately felt my face get hotter from the blush I wasn't able to contain. It wasn't due to embarrassment. The cause of my blush was from fear of how James would react if he found out the delivery was actually for me.

"Okay James, why don't you come and sit by me while I show it to you. Bella can go and get the food ready."

I mentally said thanks to Rose as I nodded and scampered into the kitchen to grab my breath and get my heartbeat under control. I heard James talk about the butterfly and how expensive it was. He also commented on how it was similar in color to the rose he had seen in my apartment just over a month ago.

Then I heard James say, "Rose, just let me see the note. How it is written is just as important as what it says."

Rose had emphatically said no, that she would read it to him. All I heard Rose read was the line about the butterfly and nothing else. I was happy about that since I was afraid he might put two and two together and figure out that the package was really for me.

"Hey you guys, dinner is all ready. Why don't you come and get what you want and we can eat and maybe watch a movie?"

Rosalie put the note inside the box and placed the cover on it before putting it all back in the shipping box it came in. She then joined me at the breakfast bar and began to put food on a plate. I looked up to see where James was, and when I did I caught him looking at the mailing label on the box. I grabbed the counter feeling as if I was going to faint.

"B, what's wrong?" Rose whispered.

"James just looked at the shipping label." I was barely able to respond.

Just as Rose was about to say something, James piped in. "Bella, are you feeling okay? You look white as a ghost."

With that, he rushed into the kitchen and placed his arm around my waist, then led me over to the couch. "I think you should lie down. I'll fix a plate for you. Rose, do you mind bringing her some water?"

James went to get my plate as Rose came over and handed me a glass of water. I grabbed it and took a huge gulp. "Thanks," I whispered to her.

She then put her plate on the table and grabbed the box. She took it into her room; I assume to get it out of the spotlight. While she was gone, James returned with my plate.

"Bella, you need to take better care of yourself. Once the campaigning season fully gets underway, I can't have you passing out at events for lack of eating." He was genuinely concerned.

"I'm sorry. We were just so busy at the shop today that I barely had time to go to the bathroom." I sat up slowly so that I could begin to eat.

"Well, why don't you let me feed you then so you don't need to expend any additional energy," he countered as he winked.

"I don't think that's necessary. She's a grown woman and I'm sure she can feed herself," Rose interjected while she stood behind the couch giving James her _don't mess with me look_.

"Chill, Rose. I was just trying to help. If Bella doesn't want me to feed her then all she has to do is tell me."

"James, I think I'm fine. I should be able to feed myself," I said barely above a whisper.

"Alright baby," he said, as he placed the plate on the table in front of the couch before rising. "Let me go get you some more water, and I'll grab something to drink for myself."

Once he had left, Rose got up and came over and sat directly next to me. She then grabbed her plate and placed it on her lap and began eating.

The look on James' face was one of disbelief when he came back in. As he passed by the opposite side of the coffee table, he casually commented, "If you need anything else just let me know, I'll be sitting over there." He nodded in the direction of the armchair and put my glass of water down in front of me.

"Thank you, but I think this is more than enough. Aren't you going to eat?"

"No, I ate at the fundraiser. I just brought dinner by to make sure you didn't go hungry."

"Oh… well thanks again," I then took another bite of my food.

As Rose and I ate, I felt James staring at me. The conversation between the three of us didn't flow and consisted of how good the food was, how tired Rose and I were and how we were all looking forward to the Halloween party the following night.

When I was finished, I placed my plate on the table before I stood. When I did this, James quickly walked over to me and grabbed my plate. "Let me get that for you sugar. You should really rest." He gestured to me with his head to sit back down and then turned his attention to Rose. "Are you finished also?"

"Yes, I am James. Thank you for taking that for me," Rosalie answered as she gave him a forced smile.

When James was out of ear shot, Rose quickly turned to me and said, "I will not leave you alone with him tonight, so figure out a way to get him to leave because I need to get some beauty rest if I'm going to be ready for the party tomorrow night."

When James returned, I faked the biggest yawn I could and told him I was sorry he came by since I really needed to go to bed. He told me that he understood and just wanted to make sure I was home safe so that he wouldn't worry about me all night. That was just like him to always worry that something would happen to me.

I walked him to the door while Rosalie busied herself in the kitchen. When I went to open the door, James grabbed me around the waist and pulled until there was no room left between us. He leaned down and captured my lips, dragging his tongue along my bottom lip as if requesting access. I obliged, and he deepened the kiss while squeezing me tighter. A few minutes later we broke apart as we both gasped for air.

"I missed you today, Sugar, but I know I'll see you tomorrow night. Don't forget. I'll meet you there," he reminded me. Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Oh and what I'm wearing is a secret. I hope you can find me amongst all the other revelers there. I know I'll be able to find you." Finally, he placed a chaste kiss on my nose before turning to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing…You and I _need_ to talk," he firmly declared as he grabbed the door knob and shut it behind him.

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	12. Chapter 12 Halloween Horror

**Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Ms. Meyers... All I can claim fame for is baking a kick ass apple pie!**

**The story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You :)**

**Thanks go out to mommakal who does a fantastic job with all the beta work and let me tell you it is a lot work..****Also thanks to my prereaders, NJNYTwigal-H, Basketgirl, and tg10781 **

**Finally a special shout out to Swino & Mon Amour for help with the songs and to Hongkongphooey...she know why.**

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**Chapter 12 – Halloween Horror**

I tossed and turned all night as my mind raced with thoughts of what James wanted to talk about. He seemed mad when he left. We had been dating for almost six weeks now and he had never even raised his voice to me. The look in his eyes was angry, yet sad. He said _you and I need to talk_ and just shut the door. Throughout the night I checked my phone for text messages since he had always texted me to say goodnight, even if he had just left. He knew I sometimes got the messages in the morning, but he sent them anyway. Each time I looked, there were none.

I laid awake and continued to stare at the ceiling, wondering about what would happen. When I looked at the clock, I saw that time had passed and it was 5:30am; I would normally have seen him already since he usually picked me up to take me to work. More questions continued to plague my mind. _Were we going to talk before the party? Was he still coming to the party? What would I tell him if he asked why I lied to him about the package?_ None of these thoughts allowed me to sleep and get the rest I desperately needed if I was going to enjoy the party that evening. Exhaustion finally ran out and my eye lids fluttered closed, as I dozed into what could only be referred to as an agitated sleep.

I was awakened by a bright light shining into my room and Alice's voice, "Hey Sleeping Beauty, it's time to get up. We've got lots to do today."

"What time is it?" I asked with a somewhat horse voice.

"It's 9:30. Up and at 'em. Rose will be out of the shower in a few minutes and then you need to get in there. We're meeting the boys at 10:00 at Ann Sather's for a bite before doing our thing to get ready for the party."

"Okay…just give me a minute to wake up. I'll be out in a bit."

"Sure sweetie, but don't make me come back in here," she chuckled as she left my room and closed the door behind her.

I rolled over and placed my one arm over my eyes to block the sun and reached with the other to grab my phone from the bedside table. I pressed the button to wake it from its sleeping state and then brought it over my face while I squinted to the look at the screen. I scrolled to my text messages and felt a frown appear when I saw there were no new ones. _Wow, he must really be mad. He always texts me in the morning…especially if he wasn't going to see me. What have I done?_ With that realization, I found myself completely awake and worried about what the rest of the day would bring.

**~o0o~**

"Hey guys, sorry we're late. Sleeping Beauty, over here, was waiting to see if Prince Charming was going to show up this morning," Rose chided, as she gestured to me and we walked up to the table Emmett and Jasper were sitting at.

"That's okay babe, Jazz and I were just talking about the fact that Edward, our brother, is coming home today and will be coming to the party tonight."

"That's great," I interjected, and then cleared my throat as both Alice and Rose were giving their significant others a proper good morning kiss.

"Oh, sorry Bells…it's just been so long since I've seen Jasper here," apologized Alice as she took a seat next to him.

"Hey Bells, your just jealous since James isn't here," Rose said jokingly, but the smile I had quickly changed to a frown.

Emmett's arm was suddenly around me, pulling me in for a hug. "What's wrong B? He didn't do something to you, did he?"

"No, I just haven't heard from him yet today, which is odd... that's all."

Emmett pulled me tighter, then reached around with his other hand and started to tickle me. When he found that perfect spot, I started to laugh, not being able to control the joy I felt. "See I knew I could make you smile." Emmett chuckled.

"Thanks, I needed that."

"No problem, I don't like to see you without a smile B," he stated while bumping my shoulder with his. "So, what are we going to eat?"

With that comment, all seriousness left the table as Emmett waved the waitress over and we placed our order. We stuffed ourselves and left with a box of their famous cinnamon rolls for the following morning.

"See you boys later at the party," we teased over our shoulders in unison before we linked arms and headed off to the day spa for a little pampering.

**~o0o~**

Once we were all settled into our pedicure chairs, Alice asked, "So what was all that sulking back at the restaurant about Bella?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean it was nothing? All you did was pick at your cinnamon roll and check your phone about every thirty seconds."

"Hey Al, just let her be. James and Bella had a little misunderstanding yesterday and I don't think she really wants to talk about it right now." Rose came to my rescue since I really wasn't in the mood to get into this here.

"Thanks Rose," I said barely above a whisper. I looked down at my hands, which she quickly grabbed with one of her own.

"Everything will be fine. Try not to worry so much." Rose's tone was soft and caring and gave me what I needed to temporarily put those thoughts to the back of my mind.

The rest of the afternoon flew by as the three of us got pampered, getting manis, pedis and our waxing done. Before I knew it, we headed back to the condo to get ready for the big Halloween Party at Sub 51; one of Emmett's other clubs.

As we walked into the condo, I went straight to my room and called back, "I'll be there in a minute. I just need to get something. Don't get too crazy without me."

"No problem Bell, we're just going to put a chick flick on and chill for a while," Rose responded as I heard Alice mumble something about not having time.

I quickly closed the door after I entered my room and pulled my phone out. I looked at it again to see there were no new messages. With that, I knew I needed to do something.

**Hey…just wondering how your day is going…I'm sure your busy…just wanted to say Hi…and let you know I can't wait to see you tonight ~B**

I sat on the edge of my bed, stared at the screen, and waited for a response.

"Hey Bells, is everything okay? You've been up here for a while now," Rose asked in a comforting tone, while taking a seat next to me on the bed.

"I'm not sure. I sent James a text, but he hasn't responded yet," barely getting it out before I broke down in tears.

"Shhh…Bella he's probably just busy and couldn't respond right away. I'm sure everything is fine." Rose tried to encourage me as she pulled me into a tight embrace and rubbed my back.

When I finally realized that Rose was probably right, I was able to stop the flow of tears and even out my breathing. I pulled away and looked at her as I smiled. "Thanks Rose. What would I do without you?"

"You probably would have sat in here all night instead of going to a kick ass party tonight." She stood and reached for my hand. "So, what do you say we start getting ready to show Chicago that you can't keep Bella Swan down no matter what?"

**~o0o~**

"No, Alice I think the ones I got are just fine," I argued.

"Come on Bella, those are what they wore in the 70's TV series, not what they wore in the movie, which by the way was from this decade," was Alice's comeback.

"Stop! Both of you," Rose quickly interjected, as if we were children. "Let's just flip a coin and whoever wins, gets to decide which genre we go as."

"Sure, sounds fair to me."

"But what if I lose Rose? We'll look like those kids who think it's cool to dress like they did before they were born. I don't know if I can do that," Alice finished, as she stuck out her bottom lip and crossed her arms like a petulant child.

"Well, we will just have to wait and see what happens," Rose responded.

Alice let out a huff and stormed from the room. She threw herself on the couch and looked like she was about to cry.

I walked over to her, leaned down, and gave her a hug. "If it means that much to you, then we can just go with the ones you want."

"Thanks Bells. I know you won't regret it," she practically yelled, before she kissed my cheek and jumped up from the couch like nothing had ever happened. _Why do I think she was just putting on a show to get her way? She can be sneaky like that._

With the drama diverted, we all headed back into Rose's room to change. When we were all ready, we made our way to the lobby to grab a cab to the club.

"Hey, look at you sexy ladies," Ben called from behind the security desk. "Heading out for some Halloween fun?"

"We sure are," Rose answered. "Now put those eyes back in your head. We've all got men waiting for us where we're going."

"Well have fun, and if anyone doesn't show up, I'm more than happy to be a fill in." He winked while he looked at me.

When we stepped outside, I noticed a car that looked like Laurent's car sitting out front. My legs started to get weak, wondering why James would be here and not meeting me at the club. My heart skipped a beat when the driver side door opened and Laurent stepped out.

"Good evening ladies. James thought you might like a ride to the club," he gestured and stepped over to us, opening up the back door to the Escalade.

Alice and Rose quickly got in, but before I could, Laurent stopped me. "James said he got caught up with something with his father. He'll be there, just late, so not to worry. He also told me to tell you he will find you when he gets there."

"Thanks," I said sheepishly. "And if you talk to him again, can you tell him I'll be waiting for him all night if I have to." Feeling the blush as it started to appear, I quickly climbed into the car and let Laurent close the door behind me.

**~o0o~**

Traffic was terrible with all the revelers out and about that evening. I was so thankful that James had sent Laurent to drive us to Club 51 since it took a good thirty minutes to get there. Once we arrived, he got out and opened the back door letting us out as if we were big time celebrities. We thanked him and I reminded him to pass my message along to James, which he said he would do immediately once he was back in the car.

As I turned and faced my two best friends, Rose yelled, "Come on, let's get this party started!" We linked our arms and headed inside.

The party was already hopping and the place was packed. I started to wonder how James would ever find me when he got here, but was brought out of my thoughts when Rose pulled me forward, which almost resulted in me falling off the four inch black stiletto's I was wearing. As I regained my balance and looked forward, I noticed why Rose was moving through the crowd so quickly. Standing in a roped off section of the club was Emmett with a huge smile on his face. When we were about three feet away, Rose dropped my arm and practically fell into his arms and placed a hard kiss on his lips. _What is it with her? It's not like she didn't just see him a few hours ago._ As Rose pulled away, I think I understood why she was so excited. Emmett stood in just a robe that he had just finished retying around his waist.

"So Rose, why the rush? Is Emmett naked underneath that or something?" I couldn't resist teasing her.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she retorted, and moved closer to him has he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"So, look at the three of you..." Emmett paused as he looked at what we were wearing. "Are you coming from a funeral?" he chuckled.

"No!" Alice said as she put her hands on her hips. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, let's see...first of all, you are all dressed in black."

"Yes we are, but it's not like we are in some type of stuffy dresses."

"No, that's for sure," Emmett said while moving his hand down to grab Rose's ass.

"You better stop what you're doing there boy if you can't finish it," Rose chided as she slapped his hand away. She then moved back to stand between Alice and I and linked our arms together. "Does this help you at all?"

"No, not really. Now I see three beautiful women dressed in a variety of tight black tops, tight black leather pants, and what looks to me like fuck me heels."

Rose's eyes narrowed as she looked at Emmett. "Cullen, you better stop being an ass and figure this out or I might just go and find me a real man tonight."

"Okay baby, just give me a second."

Just as Emmett was about to open his mouth, Jasper appeared dressed as a Confederate officer. His pants and coat were a blue-grey wool with shiny brass buttons. He had a sword on the right side and carried his hat beneath his arm. He bowed slightly as he greeted us. "Good evening ladies, or should I say… Kelly, Jill and Sabrina," and finished off by placing a kiss on Alice's lips.

"What did you just say?" Emmett barked out.

"Kelly, Jill, and Sabrina, also known as Charlie's Angels."

"Oh…that's what I was just about to say," Emmett agreed as he winked at me.

"You were not," challenged Rose. "You're just a big oaf, but your mine and I love ya anyway."

"So, is anyone going to guess what I am?" Emmett motioned to himself and waited.

"A guy who just got out of a shower?" Alice responded in all seriousness.

Emmett shook his head from side to side.

"Hugh Hefner?" It was only a natural thought being that he was in a robe, but the robe did seem a bit off.

"Nope, still not it."

"Okay Em, we give up," Rose said while moving her hands up his arms. "Why don't you just tell us so we can really get this party started?"

"I'm a Calvin Klein underwear model waiting for my photo shoot...see." He opened up his robe and revealed the black cotton boxer briefs he was wearing.

"Okay, that's enough…" Rose quickly said as she grabbed the sides of his robe and covered him up.

"Oh, babe don't worry. They should be able to look, but you're the only one who gets to touch."

Rose slapped him in the arm and then grabbed mine and Alice's hands. She led us to the dance floor just as _Get This Party Started by Pink _began to play. We danced like there was no tomorrow as this had been our theme song since college. No matter where we were, we would always dance to it. After the song died down, we made our way back to where Jasper and Emmett were sitting. The waitress had just finished setting down a tray of shots and some bright orange drinks.

"Anyone up for some lemon drops?" Emmett asked while he lifted the tray so each of us could take one. "Bottoms ups."

As I set the shot glass back on the table, I noticed there were two left.

"So, who are these for?"

"Oh, one was for James and the other is for my brother, Edward."

"Ohhh…where is he?"

"Who, James?"

"No, your brother?"

"Oh, his plane didn't land until after I was already here, and he was going to stop by my place to shower and change. So I expect him to show up soon."

"That's if he shows up at all," Jasper added. "He has a habit of saying he's coming and then not showing up."

"Really?"

"Yep, he was supposed to be at Metro the night of your birthday. But let's not dwell on the past. Let's just enjoy the night." Emmett said before he handed me one of the orange colored drinks.

"What's this?"

"It's what I like to call Emmett's Nightmare. It's good, trust me."

I took a sip and really enjoyed the taste, but wondered what was in this heavenly concoction. It went down way too easily and before I knew it, us ladies were out on the dance floor again.

_Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon _started to play as the three of us continued to dance. Rose and Alice's hips moved perfectly to the rhythm while I continued to struggle because of my heels and lack of coordination and confidence. The more I moved, the more I felt the effects of the two Nightmares I had consumed. I closed my eyes and tried to feel the music more while hoping not to make a fool of myself. As I kept on moving I felt a pair of strong hands grab my hips and they helped me sway in time with the music. I leaned back as I felt an exhilarating feeling course through my body. As these hands guided me, I felt surer about my movements as I heard the final chorus loud and clear.

_You, your sex is on fire_

_And you, your sex is on fire_

_Consumed with what's to transpire_

_and you, your sex is on fire_

_Consumed with what's to transpire._

As the music stopped, the hands turned me and I came face to face with a magnificent caped crusader, Batman. His body was fully covered; even his hands were encased in black fabric. The definition of his abs and chest were visible through the skin tight fabric as it clung to his torso. I slowly traced my hands over them, loving how it felt. I again felt a jolt of electricity run through me. I lifted my eyes to look at his face but it was mostly covered; expect for the chiseled definition of his jaw, a set of plump lips and a slight glimpse of his eyes, but I couldn't distinguish their color.

"James, is that you?"

I got no response, but as _I'll Be by Edwin McCain _started to play, his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. Feeling safe, I leaned my head against his chest and closed my eyes as I enjoyed the calmness that came over me. We swayed together as the song continued and I felt his lips mouthing the words against the top of my head.

_And I'll be your cryin' shoulder_

_I'll be love suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

_The greatest fan of your life_

As the music came to an end, I moved my hands up so that they were clasped behind his head. I stood on my tip toes to get a better look in his eyes. "That was wonderful, thank you."

He licked his lips and leaned down. I let my eyes flutter closed in anticipation of his lips on mine.

"Bella, what are you doing?" I heard a voice scream. My eyes shot open as I felt a hand grab my arm. When I looked to see who it was, I was greeted by James dressed as a vampire.

* * *

**A/N: So how many of you thought from the teaser that it was Edward...I know a few who thought it was James...**

**So Edward & Bella finally meet...well sort of...Sorry to leave you with a little cliffe but trust me you will see more of Edward going forward. **

**As always reviews are greatly appreciated. I read each and everyone of them and don't forget those who review get teasers!**

**Until next time... **

**ChiTwiGal**


	13. Chapter 13 Collision Course

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... **

**The story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You :)**

**Thanks go out to mommakal my beta who kicked ass and turned this thing around in record time. ..****Also thanks to my prereaders, NJNYTwigal-H, Basketgirl, and tg10781 **

**Finally a special shout out to Hongkongphooey...she know why.**

* * *

**Chapter 13 - Collision Course**

"NO! I don't think she wants to see you, and how did you get up here anyways?" Rose's voiced filtered through my head.

"I just want to talk to her and give her this," James pleaded.

Last night kept replaying over and over again like a bad remake of Groundhog Day.

**~o0o~**

_"Bella, what are you doing?" James had said before he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into the VIP area where the rest of the group was._

_"James, you're here," was all I was able to get out. He continued to look at me with intense anger in his eyes, and then moved us so that we were away from everyone._

_"Who was that you were dancing with? Were you going to kiss him? Are you trying to make me look like a fool in front of everyone?" James spat with what seemed like venom in each word he spoke to me._

_I started shaking as my arm began to hurt while still in the vice grip of his grasp. "No, I…I thought…I thought it was you," I finally was able to sputter out. I continued to look at James and wondered what he was going to do next._

_"Hey, is everything okay over here?" I looked up and saw Emmett staring at me, waiting for an answer._

_"Everything's fine. Bella and I are just talking."_

_"I wasn't asking you."_

_"Oh." James response was laced with annoyance._

_"Bella, is everything okay?" Emmett asked. His gaze told me he wanted an honest answer._

_"Yes, James and I are just talking."_

_"Well, if everything is fine, why does he have a hold on your arm so tight that I can already see a bruise forming?" Rose interjected as she stood next to Emmett._

_"Sorry sweetie, I didn't know I was holding you so tight," James whispered before he released my arm, leaned forward and placed a kiss where his hand had been._

_"I know," I answered quietly, and looked up into his eyes._

_Rose looked directly at James but spoke to me, "Bella, why don't you come with me to the bathroom and I'll make sure we don't need to get some ice on that."_

_"I'm fine Rose, really."_

_"Then come with me anyways 'cause I need to pee and you know that I can't go to the bathroom alone."_

_"Isn't that the truth," Emmett said while laughing, "Don't worry Bells, I'll keep James here company while you're gone." He placed a firm grip on top of James' shoulder._

_I turned to look at James and squeezed his hand before I leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, "I promise I won't be gone long."_

_He pulled me close and whispered into my ear, "Just make sure you come right back here after you're done with Rose. We still need to discuss what happened on **that** dance floor."_

_"I promise, I will." I responded knowing I didn't want him to get any angrier than he already was._

_Rose and I walked away to what I thought were the restrooms. She instead opened another door and motioned for me to step in ahead of her. Once inside, I noticed that it was some type of a storage area with lockers along the walls, a small table with a few chairs around it. There was also another door leading to somewhere else._

_"Where are we?"_

_"This is the employee break room. When Emmett and I saw James grab you, he suggested I bring you in here to find out what was going on." Her words were strong but also laced with sympathy._

_"What do you mean about what happened out there? James finally arrived and we were just trying to find a quiet place to talk that's all," I said, as I looked down at my hands which I was fiddling with._

_"Come on Bells, you were on the dance floor looking like you were enjoying yourself, and then all of a sudden there was a big commotion. The next thing we saw was James dragging you from there to the VIP area, against your will no less." When she finished, she cocked her eyebrow as if to dare me to challenge her._

_"Rose, you know I can't lie to you. I was dancing with a person dressed up like Batman. I couldn't see his eyes, or much of him at all, but I figured it was James since he wouldn't tell me what he was wearing. When I danced with him everything just felt so right, and at the end of the song I thought he was going to kiss me, but then James interrupted and pulled me away."_

_"Really? So there was a masked stranger who you were going to kiss? Bella, you sure have come out of your shell recently. I'm beginning to wonder what you did with the Bella we used to know," she responded in jest._

_"Rose, please don't tease me like that…I thought it was James. If I would have thought it was anyone else I would have never let him dance with me like he did." I felt myself blushing as the words left my lips._

_She captured me in a hug, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tease you. It's just so unlike you to be that way and I was curious what you would say if you thought it was someone other than James."_

_I hugged her back, "That's fine. I know you didn't really mean anything by it."_

_Rose pulled back from the hug and looked me in the eye, "Look at your arm. I can't believe that James grabbed you so tight, bruising you already."_

_I looked down and finally realized why Rose was so concerned. There was a dark purple bruise in the perfect shape of James' hand that had appeared on my upper arm. I shrugged my shoulders as I responded, "I hadn't even noticed. You know how easily I bruise, and it doesn't hurt."_

_"Well it looks bad and you should probably ice it so it doesn't get any worse."_

_"Rose, I'll be fine. Why are you so worried about it? It's just a bruise."_

_She gently grabbed my shoulders so that I was facing her directly and looked me in the eye, "Has he ever done anything like this to you before?"_

_"No, of course not. He didn't mean to do this to me, and he has the right to be upset."_

_"Listen to me. No one has any reason or the right to ever hurt you in any manner, do you hear me?"_

_"Yes."_

_"If he ever does anything like this to you again and I'm not around, you will tell me right." She stared straight into my eyes expecting an answer._

_He isn't like that."_

_She moved forward and enveloped me in another hug, "I just want you to know that I am here for you if you need me, and I also know that Emmett would kick his ass if he ever hurt you intentionally."_

_I hugged her back tightly as I responded "I know, thank you. I'm so lucky to have friends like you guys. I just think it was a big misunderstanding."_

_"Well let's stop with all the sappy stuff and get back out there to our guys." I had the feeling Rose wasn't completely happy with the situation, but also didn't want to push it any further at this point._

_"Thanks again Rose, it really means a lot to me."_

_"Any time."_

_After our little talk we headed back to see the guys. I looked around to find James, but didn't see him anywhere. I wondered where he had gone, and also noticed Emmett was missing. As I looked towards the couch, I noticed that Alice and Jasper were taken with each other in a lip lock and figured it wouldn't be worth interrupting them._

_"Hey, that looks like a nasty bruise. Can I get you some ice for that?" Emmett spoke directly in my ear from behind._

_"No, I should be fine, I'm an easy bruiser. But do you know where James went?"_

_"He said he was going to the bathroom and would be back in a minute, but it looks like he might have gotten a little side tracked," Emmett pointed to the dance floor._

_I looked over and was shocked to see James dancing with a beautiful woman dressed as a vampire. All I could see of her was that she had curly, long, red flowing hair and an amazing body. She moved her hands seductively over his chest, while his hands were on her hips. He was leaning in close to talk to her. I felt my blood begin to boil and wondered why it was fine for him to dance with someone like that, but it wasn't for me. Was he doing it to get back at me?_

_"Emmett, do you know where Rose went? I think I'm going to leave and want to say goodbye."_

_"Yep, I think I do," and he gestured back to the dance floor where I saw Rose grab James' wrist. She pulled him towards the side and began screaming at him about something. Her hands were flailing in the air and it looked like it was taking all of her will not to hit him. "Hey, I think I better go and intervene before we have an incident here." Emmett laughed as he made his way over to Rose, calming her down as he brought her back over to where I was._

_"Hey, I don't know what that was all about and I'm sure you will let me know later, but thanks." I said as I hugged Rose tight. "I think I'm going to head home and just wanted to say good-bye before I did."_

_"Your back," I heard James say just as I released Rose._

_"We were just leaving," Rose hissed at him, grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the front door._

_James caught up to us and grabbed my other hand trying to stop me. "Where are you going? The night is still young?"_

_I pulled on Rose's hand so that she would stop. I turned towards James, "I think its best I just go. I'm not feeling really up to a party anymore."_

_"Well let me take you then. If you're not going to be here, there's no reason for me to stay and we can just enjoy the evening together back at your place."_

_"I don't think so…you've done enough tonight." Rose chimed in before I could respond on my own, and I was thankful for that._

_I looked back to James and mouthed "I'm sorry ...tomorrow," and gave him a small smile, just as I noticed Emmett approach._

_"Is there a problem here Rose?"_

_"No babe, Bella was just saying goodbye to James here."_

_With that, he leaned in and kissed my cheek and told me he would talk to me tomorrow. Rose then gave Emmett a kiss before he looked at me and hugged me while he whispered in my ear, "I'll see you later, and if he bothers you again tonight, he'll have to deal with me."_

_As I gave one last sorrowful look at James, I turned and trailed Rose outside and caught a cab home._

**~o0o~**

"You didn't answer her question," I heard from another male voice.

"What question?"

"How the hell did you get up here? Security never called to verify if you were expected or not." I was able to decipher Emmett's voice as it became louder and more forceful.

"Oh, well they know I'm dating Bella and she told them it was fine to let me up whenever I came by, so I guess that's why."

As I heard the lie come directly from James' mouth, I realized that I had not been dreaming, but that I had actually been listening to a conversation which was occurring just a few feet from my bedroom. I threw back the covers, grabbed my robe and decided I was going to confront James myself.

The words escaped from my mouth before I had even entered the room they were in." I have never given anyone permission to let you in without being announced. How dare you assume that?"

"Sweetie, I'm sorry. It's just that every time I come by, no one ever questions me and that's why I just come straight up." James spoke calmly.

"Well then that's what you should have said. You need to remember that Rose lives here too, and the reason why her dad bought the condo in this building was because of the security. It's not fair if you just come up unannounced," I retorted.

James tried to move forward but was stopped as Emmett placed his hand to James' chest. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I thought I would give my girlfriend a kiss good morning?" James looked at me as if seeking approval

Emmett turned and looked at me for confirmation if it was fine or not.

"It's okay Emmett, let him come in."

Emmett looked at James and was clearly annoyed, but finally relented and lowered his hand from James' chest. "It's against my better judgment, but I will honor Bella's wishes."

As James began to come towards me, Rose quickly came over to me, leaned in and stated briskly, "If you need anything, Emmett and I will be in my room. I'll give you guys some time and space, but we will be out here in a split second if you need us."

I grabbed her forearm, gave it a little squeeze, and whispered in return, "Thanks Rose."

Rose then turned and waved her hand to Emmett, "Come on big guy, let's give these two a little time to talk alone."

"Okay, but what are we going to do babe? I'm hungry."

"I'm sure I can find a way to satisfy your appetite for a little bit," Rose teased, as she winked at me and led Emmett to her room as if he was a puppy dog.

"Hey, I brought you breakfast if you're hungry," I heard James say. My thoughts were still with Rose and Emmett, as I thought about how funny it was to see such a big guy like Emmett being reduced to putty when it came to Rosalie.

"Oh, sorry I'm just a little tired," I said, as I tried to make up an excuse to why I hadn't turned around yet. "It was nice of you to bring something, but you really didn't need to. We still have some cinnamon rolls left over from yesterday. "Oh…If you would prefer that I'll understand," he said, as he held the bag from Dinkles up, "but I thought their Burglaurs were your favorite."

"How did you know that?"

"You mentioned it one time, and those are things I store away so that when I make an ass out of myself, I can show you how much I really do care for you."

I felt the blush as it rose in my cheeks and wondered what I had done to deserve a man like him in my life. How stupid I was to have almost kissed that stranger last night before confirming it was him. "You weren't an ass. If anyone has apologizing to do, it's me."

James then placed the bag on the coffee table and wrapped his arms around me holding me tight. "Let's just pretend last night never happened, all right Sugar?" He then leaned in to place a soft gentle kiss on my lips.

"James, we need to stop."

"What? Why?"

I placed my hand over my mouth in embarrassment before I spoke again, "because I haven't brushed my teeth yet and my mouth must taste terrible."

"Actually you tasted pretty good to me," James said with a smile, before crashing his lips to mine again with more force and passion. When he finally pulled away, I had all but forgotten what had brought us to this point and decided just to enjoy as much time as I could get from him today since I wasn't working.

**~o0o~**

The next morning started out like every day had since I met James. He waited for me in the lobby when I left to go to work. The weather was unseasonably warm that day so I was able to convince him to walk with me to Uncommon Grounds and have Laurent pick him up there. As we walked, James had his arm around me and held my hand with his other one. When I tried to bring up what had happened at the party with him, he said it didn't matter. He was just happy that we had the whole day yesterday together and that he would find a way to make up for the bad time I had on Halloween.

It felt so comfortable as we walked, as if we had just started to date and things were still new. When we turned the corner there was a stiff breeze and I shivered a little, so James dropped his hand to my bicep and tried to rub the chill away.

"Ouch," I jumped as he hit the spot where the bruise was.

He stopped dead in his tracks, "What's wrong Sugar? Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's nothing. I just have a little bruise on my arm where you squeezed me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. When did I do that?"

I responded barely above a whisper, "from when you grabbed me at the Halloween Party."

"What do you mean? I left a bruise on your arm? I'm so sorry Bella…can I see it? I can't believe I did that? What can I do to make it up to you?" James blurted out uncontrollably.

"Its fine, you didn't mean to do it and I bruise easily anyways," I chose not to make a big deal out of it and was quick to change the subject. "But if we don't hurry up, I'll be late for work."

James pulled me into him and placed a gentle and apologetic kiss on my lips. He then took my hand and picked up the pace to get me to work on time.

When we arrived outside the shop he leaned down, kissed me again and whispered, "I'm going to make that night up to you if it's the last thing I do." And with that he turned to get into the Escalade.

**~o0o~**

The morning dragged on slowly as I dreamt about the ways James would make the night up to me since he seemed to be very upset when he found out about the bruise.

"Are you day dreaming again or can I get a latte," Roses familiar voice took me out of my musings.

"Coming right up."

"Hey Bella, make it for here, Emmett said he was going to meet me here this morning."

"Really, I thought he told me he normally went somewhere else."

"Well, he said he wanted to introduce us to his brother who didn't show up on Halloween. He's going to be living with Emmett for a while until he finds a permanent place in the city."

"So his brother never showed? I guess Jasper was right."

"It wouldn't have mattered anyways since Alice and Jasper left right after we did, and Emmett was busy all night with various issues arising. He says Halloween always brings the crazies out."

Just as I turned around to bring Rose her latte, Emmett's booming voice traveled through the shop startling me. I dropped her latte on the floor. When I looked up from the mess at my feet, I saw him. Yes, 'coffee guy' was Emmett's brother.

* * *

**A/N: ****Thanks to all of you who read, review and have put me on alert.**

**A****s always reviews are greatly appreciated. I read each and everyone of them and don't forget those who review get teasers!**

**Until next time... **

**ChiTwiGal**


	14. Chapter 14 Coffee Guy & Butterflies

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... ****But the story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You :)**

**I'm sure you thought you were never going to get this ...well here it is finally. I would like to tell you I've been spending the last few weeks ending world hunger, ridding the world of all diseases all while designing and making the costumes for R-Patz to wear at his Brazil shoot...but I'm sorry to say none of that happened.**

**Thanks go out to mommakal my beta who without her help you would be wondering if I ever took a grammar class in my entire life. ..****Also thanks to my prereaders, NJNYTwigal-H, Basketgirl, HongKongPhooey and tg10781 they are all special in their own ways to me... I love all 5 of these wonderful ladies to death**

**Finally a special shout out to KellaBella09 & BonesyBabe who have been two rocks for me over the past month & without them I'm sure I would still be trying to get my act together. Hugs & kisses to the both of you...**

_Just a little reminder of how Chapter 13 ended:_

_Just as I turned around to bring Rose her latte, Emmett's booming voice travelled through the shop startling me. I dropped her latte on the floor. When I looked up from the mess at my feet, I saw him. Yes, 'coffee guy' was Emmett's brother._

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**_Chapter 14 Coffee Guy and Butterflies_**

_Coffee Guy?_ I couldn't believe my eyes. The stranger who I had seen at Uncommon Grounds so many times... I had dreamed about kissing his perfect lips and running my hands through his gorgeous hair. 'Coffee guy' was Emmett's brother? At least it appeared to be that way. I thought this over whilst I busied myself cleaning up the mess of Rose's latte, which was all over the floor. My head reeled as I tried to make sense of this. Emmett and he had walked in together and were talking, and Emmett was supposed to be bringing along his brother to meet Rose. Could this just be a coincidence? Had they just happened to walk in together and got talking? It was a possibility. When I stood up and faced them, I gave a shy smile and could feel my cheeks flaming.

"Sorry about the mess. You know how I can be somewhat of a klutz."

"Bella, it wasn't your fault," Rose said as she winked at me and then turned towards Emmett and nudged his shoulder. "If this oaf would learn to act more like an adult, he wouldn't keep scaring people when he walks into a room."

"Sorry babe, but I'm just so happy to have Edward here with me to meet you." He then leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips.

"Why don't you all take a seat while I go get rid of this mess and I'll have your drinks out in a few minutes," I mumbled, then walked away completely embarrassed that Emmett's brother was who I had been crushing on for months.

As I left, I saw Edward look at me and wink as he followed Rose and Emmett to his usual table by the window.

I took my time preparing their drinks so that I had time to process this new information. When I had stalled enough, I loaded a tray with their drinks: a non-fat latte for Rose, a coffee with just a splash of cream for Emmett and a double shot Americano for Edward.

"Here are your drinks. I hope I got them right." I felt my hands shaking as I carried the tray over and placed them down. I didn't know what else to say or do, so I just turned to leave.

"Hey Bells, where are you going?" Emmett said as I started to walk away. "Don't you want to meet my brother?"

I turned around slowly and felt the heat immediately grace my cheeks. "Sure Em."

"Edward this is Bella, Bella…Edward."

I held out my hand to shake Edward's hand. He in turn stood and pulled me into a friendly, but rather tight hug, and stated, "Any friend of Emmett's is a friend of mine."

I felt a light jolt of electricity run through my entire body, similar to the one I felt at the Halloween party with my stranger, just stronger. _He hugged me! I can't believe it. Why would he do that?_

"Umm… it's nice to meet you too. What brings you into town?" _I barely squeaked out since he was holding me so tight._

"Hey bro, are you going to let the poor girl go or are you planning on giving her a job?" Emmett chuckled. Edward let go of me and stepped backwards as he tried to look like he was pissed by what his brother had said.

Once freed, I said, "That's okay, I'm going to take my break now so I can sit with you guys. Just let me go grab myself a coffee." I looked at Edward and he winked at me and a smile graced his face as he sat back down.

A few minutes later, I was sitting at the table across from him, the guy I had been enamoured with, who used to grace the same table everyday for what had seemed like forever. I watched him and noticed that he seemed very different from his brother. He seemed much more softly spoken, seemed more cerebral. He didn't say much, and only interjected here and there as Emmett went on about how he and Rose met. Emmett spoke of how Alice and Jasper always needed to find a room since they couldn't keep their hands off each other and finished up with how he thought of me as the little sister he always wanted. I knew I wasn't really engaged at all in the conversation, because out of the blue I heard Emmett's booming voice. It startled me and caused me to knock my remaining coffee onto the table.

_There are I go again, showing how I have no grace for the second time in front of him._

"Oh…umm…sorry…I really didn't mean to make another mess."

"Well, actually Bella, what I was saying was that Edward is moving back for good, right bro?" he said as he looked seriously at Edward and then over to me, just as Leah had run over with a rag and cleaned up the mess.

"Thanks Leah," I muttered under my breath.

She gave me a small smile before whispering, "Hey, the next wave will be here soon and we could really use your help."

I looked at my watch and noticed that it was well past my allotted fifteen minutes, and knew it wasn't fair to not help with the rush of school moms that would be showing up after they dropped their kids off just down the street. Just as I realized I needed to get going, Rose and Emmett both said they needed to head off to work. With that, I stood and gave them each a hug and then they walked out the door.

"Sorry Edward, I need to get back to work," I said as I turned towards him and extended my hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon and I promise I'll try to bring along my graceful side the next time."

He looked back at me with a crooked smile and handed me his cup. "When you get a second, can you bring me another one please?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought you would need to get to your office."

"Nope, I've got the day off and I think I like the view I have in here today." He winked as he responded in a playful tone, that if I hadn't looked directly at him I would have thought it was Emmett speaking.

I turned quickly and felt the blush as it appeared on my face and hoped he didn't notice. _So he does have that playful side just like his brothers. I wonder why he didn't interact with me like that when Emmett was here._

I returned a few minutes later with his Americano and placed it down on the table. "Is there anything else that I can get you?"

"Well that depends on if you have plans for lunch?"

_Was he asking me to lunch? No he couldn't be…why would he want to do that?_

"No, I don't have plans. I only get a half hour and I normally take it around ten thirty since my shift ends at two. " I rambled on, not sure why I was giving him all that information. "Why do you ask?"

"I was hoping I could take you out and get to know you better. Emmett said he thought you were the little sister he always wanted. With that type of endorsement, I think we should get to know one another sooner, rather than later."

"I would like that... if you don't mind waiting until my shift is over? I would love to have lunch with you and get to know you too. But I'll understand if you don't want to wait that long or have other commitments in the afternoon?"

"That works for me," he answered, as he smiled and took a sip of his coffee. "Oh, and I know the perfect place. Now get back to work," he teased and shooed me away playfully with his hand.

I walked away with a little extra pep in my step, excited about getting to know the man I had been so enthralled with since the first time I saw him in the coffee shop.

Luckily, the morning was busy since there was a chill in the air. The bright sun caused everyone to come out to enjoy the day, knowing it was likely to be the last nice day for a long time.

Throughout the morning, Edward periodically came up to the counter for a refill. He changed it to regular decaf coffee after he had the two Americanos. I also noticed that he seemed to wait until I was the only one who could help him, but maybe that was just my imagination.

"Hey Bells, I think you have another admirer," Leah whispered to me each time he returned to the table he claimed.

Every time she spoke, I would instantaneously feel the heat from the blush that I was sure covered my face, afraid that one time he might actually hear her.

"Stop it Leah, you know I'm dating James," I finally responded to her after the third or fourth time she goaded me.

"Well, it's not like your engaged or anything. So, just enjoy his flirting and if you don't want him, feel free to pass his phone number along to me," she teased and winked at me.

"He's Emmett's brother, and he's just moved here. I'm sure he probably has a girlfriend and is just interested in getting to know a few people."

"Say whatever you want Bella, but I can tell he is deliberately flirting with you."

"Well, he did ask if I could go to lunch with him." I blurted out just to see how Leah would react.

"You're going aren't you?" Leah sounded as if she was going to accept the invitation if I didn't.

"I asked him if he could wait until the end of my shift and he agreed," as I plastered a big smile on my face.

"If you want to take your lunch at the end of your shift and leave a half an hour early, I'll punch you out at the end of your shift. I'll also explain to Angela that you had something rather _important_ to attend to. You know she won't have a problem with that."

"Really, you think she wouldn't mind? I hate doing this since its such last minute."

"Trust me. Once Angela knows what, or maybe I should say 'who', was the important thing you needed to attend to, she would be pushing you out the door herself."

I leaned over and pulled Leah into a big hug. "Thanks. I promise if he doesn't have a girlfriend and is looking for one that I'll give him your number. Now get back to work before everyone starts wondering what's going on."

**~o0o~**

Once the lunch rush died down, I looked up and noticed it was already twenty eight minutes past one. I walked to the back and deposited my apron in the bin for cleaning, grabbed my coat and purse and headed over towards where Edward was sitting, still reading the same sports section he had since this morning.

"Hey there, are you ready to go or do you need more time reading about how the Bears lost to a subpar team again?" I tried to sound like I knew what I was talking about, but was not actually sure that they had lost their last game.

"Well, it's funny you should say that because I was actually looking over the stats of the Blackhawks and wondering if they could win the Stanley Cup two years in a row, with the type of start they have had to their season."

I realized immediately that I was going to like Edward. I was never one who enjoyed football, no matter how much Charlie tried to teach me about it. It was too slow moving for my liking, but once I had seen a hockey game I was immediately hooked. The quickness of the players, constant movement and boy were the players some _fine_ looking men, even if most of them were missing some of their real teeth.

"To be honest with you, I like hockey a lot more than I like football and don't really know what happened the last time the Bears played. So why don't you tell me what you think about the Blackhawks chances over lunch?"

"But I thought you said your shift ended at two?" He asked looking confused.

"It does, but I didn't take my normal lunch so I'm taking it now, at the end of my shift. Is that okay with you?"

"It sure is. Just let me put this empty cup on the counter and we can get going."

I watched his fine form as he walked over to put his cup on the counter. While he did, he leaned over the counter to place something in Leah's hand and I could have sworn I overheard him saying 'thank you' to her. _I made a mental note that I needed to ask her what that was all about._

"All ready?" he said and gestured to the door, which I took as my cue to lead the way.

Once outside, I took a deep breath loving how the cold crisp air felt in my lungs before I turned towards him. "So where are we going?"

"Just follow me."

**~o0o~**

As we walked, Edward and I talked and our conversation flowed easily. He asked me simple questions like where I grew up, what I did for fun and we also talked about Emmett. Before I knew it, we had arrived in the park just west of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. I loved it here because they had a permanent butterfly exhibit with over seventy-five different species, most of which were from the southern hemisphere, together with a large number of exotic birds.

"Hey, I'm not sure where you were planning on taking me, but I'd love to show you the butterfly exhibit inside here?" I looked at him hoping he wouldn't be offended.

"Actually, that's exactly where I was planning on taking you. I thought we could grab a sandwich and maybe split a dessert in the café before taking a stroll through the Butterfly Haven. It's a perfect day for it since the sun is bright, and with it being a greenhouse it will warm us up after the walk we just had."

I grabbed his hand excited to get inside quickly, jumping as I felt a spark of what I thought was static electricity, and lead us to the entrance. _How come every time I touch him I get a jolt of electricity as if I had just touched a door knob in the wintertime? How did he know I liked butterflies so much? Maybe he is an outdoorsy type of guy?_ Whatever the reason why, I was glad that was where we ended up.

After we entered, we headed straight for the Café. Since it was just past two in the afternoon, we were the only ones there. We both opted to get a bowl of their vegetable soup to help warm us up and split a turkey sandwich on freshly baked whole grain bread. I grabbed bottles of water for both Edward and I from the cooler. When I turned around I saw that he had already grabbed his wallet to pay.

"Hey, what do you think you are doing? I was actually planning on treating you since you're new to town."

"Sorry Beautiful, I asked you to lunch, so now you have to let me pay," he responded with a devious smirk on his face.

"Well, then at least let me buy you a brownie or one of the other delicious sweet things they have here?"

"Nope. That won't be necessary. I already got us a cookie, brownie and what I believe is probably your favorite, a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting." He winked and I blushed in return.

"Actually, the red velvet is my second favorite. I really love their carrot cake cupcakes."

"Sorry but we sold those out earlier today," the woman behind the counter said with a sad smile.

"That's okay. I was just teasing him anyway," I said as I placed the waters on one of the trays, grabbed it and headed over to a table in the corner, in the hope we would be able to talk and not be disturbed.

Our conversation through lunch flowed freely as if I had known Edward for more than just a few hours. I found him to be just as charming, funny and intelligent as both of his brothers. As I sat there, I wondered about their mom and dad, hoping that one day I might be able to meet them.

"So, how about we go see the butterflies before the sun starts to set? The days are getting shorter you know." Edward smiled as he gathered up our dishes and went over to the counter to hand them to the woman who had helped us earlier.

When he returned, I grabbed his hand again as I tried to get him to move faster, and almost jumped from the jolt I felt again before I led the way. I had been there numerous times, but loved it more and more each time since I still hadn't seen all the species that were located there.

"Wow, someone seems excited," Edward teased. He squeezed my hand as we entered the greenhouse.

Once inside, I just stood there and started to look around in amazement. The greenhouse was filled with pools of water, flowers, tropical trees and over one thousand butterflies. Since it had been a nice sunny day, the birds and butterflies were rather active for that time of year, but you still had to look closely as some of the species blended in so well with the various types of vegetation found inside.

We spent an hour walking around and looking to see how many different species we could identify on the card they gave us at the door, and just enjoyed our time with each other. Once we had scoured all twenty seven hundred square feet, we stopped by the Café to get hot chocolates for our walk back to my condo.

As the sun began to set, we walked along the lakefront path and continued to talk about random things.

As we arrived to the front door of my building, I turned and looked at Edward, "Thanks for lunch and a wonderful afternoon. I really enjoyed myself."

He then wrapped his arms around me and gave me hug while he placed a kiss on the top of my head. "I really enjoyed myself too. It was a great way to start my life over in this great city. I hope we can do more things like this in the future. I can definitely see why my brother looks at you so fondly."

When he let me go from the hug, I rose up on my tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, and was startled by the loud voice behind me. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

I responded while I turned away from Edward, "Sorry, Laurent is there a problem?"

"Not now. James sent me to pick you up from work, but you were already gone and no one there could tell him where you were," Laurent said as he dialled his phone. "I've found her sir... She is at her condo with a gentleman… Yes, hold on a moment," then looked towards Edward. "Sir, may I have your name please?"

"Let Mr. Volturi know my name is Edward Cullen."

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**So I hope everyone is happy...I know you all wanted Edward & Bella to interact (Oh & I didn't have any James) and I gave it to you so tell me if you enjoyed it or not by clicking on the link below and leaving me a reivew..it doesn't take very long and I really do care about what you all think...and there is a bonus this time...My 500th reviewer will get a special teaser or is allowed to ask me a question about the story that I will answer...as always all other reviewers will get a regular teaser as soon as I have completed the chapter...**

**Thank you again to all of you who read, review, have put me on alert, favorited me or my story and who follow me on twitter or the forum... I have really been blown away by the response this story has gotten... I never thought I would get 50 reviews yet alone getting to almost 500 already...I am truly humbled by this.**

**I am writing daily and hope to post sooner rather than later but as we all know the Holiday season is upon us and my pre-readers and beta have families and real lives to attend to so if there is some delays just bear with us all as we are doing the best we can.**

**~ChiTwiGal**


	15. Chapter 15 Dinner with Friends?

**Holiday Greetings to all... I hope you are enjoying all the ****festivities** and surrounded by those you love.. 

**I'm sure you were wondering what happened to me...well I was abducted by Elves and forced to make Jacob dolls for the Christmas because Santa said I was bad...but luckily for everyone reading this story I got out early for good behavior. I'm hoping you enjoy the chapter and that it was worth the wait.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... ****But the story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You :)**

**Special thanks go out to the most fantastic beta in the world mommakal for turning this chapter around so quickly and without her help you would be wondering if I a comma key on my computer. My ****prereaders, NJNYTwigal-H, Basketgirl, HongKongPhooey thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to give me your input and especially to tg10781 for doing this while you are recovering...now just go and take care of yourself and get better. All of them are incredible women and very special to me... I love all to death**

**A special shout out to KellaBella09 & BonesyBabe who have been two rocks for me. A thank you just isn't enough. **

**Finally, I would like to let Trayce know I am praying hard and hoping you will get better soon..Love you and miss you!**

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****Chapter 15 – Dinner with Friends?**

I anxiously waited for Rose to arrive home from work. I needed her to help me through all the thoughts that were in my head. _Why would James have been so concerned about me? Why didn't he just call my cell phone_? _How did Edward know who Laurent was talking to? Would James be upset or was he just really worried?_

I continued to wait and bounced my legs up and down as I anticipated hearing the door open to signal Rose's arrival home. As my anxiety level increased, I began to question why Rose wasn't here yet. _Would she come right home? What if she had to work late? What if she just decided to go to see Emmett and not come home at all tonight? What would I do if she wasn't able to help me answer all the questions I had in my head? _I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts by my cell phone chirping as it alerted me to a new text message.

**Hey B, stopping by Moran's to grab a bite with Emmett and Edward. Why don't you come? Bring James if needed. ~R**

Just as I placed my phone down on the coffee table it started to ring. I looked to see who was calling and noticed it was Ben from downstairs.

"Hi Ben, what's up?"

"Bella, I have a James Volturi here and wanted to know if it was okay to let him up to your apartment?"

"Sure Ben. Send James up." _Why was Ben calling? In the past, James would always just appear at our door when he was here to see me?_

I walked over to the door, opened it and waited for the sound of the elevator. When I heard it 'ding', I decided to head over and meet him.

"Hey sexy, how was your day?" James whispered, as he leaned in and kissed my cheek.

"It was really good. How was your day?" I asked him as I felt him pull me into a firm hug.

"Well it was rather busy and I'm famished. What do you think about going and grabbing a bite to eat?"

I hugged him back and smiled as I realized I had nothing to worry about. "That sounds great. Do you mind going to Moran's? Emmett's brother Edward is moving back to town and Rose just texted me to see if we wanted to meet up with them there."

"Sure, whatever you want sexy. As long as I am with you, the evening will be a success." He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on my lips.

I grabbed his hand and lead us back to my condo. "Great. Let me just grab my coat and purse."

"Take all the time you need. I'll call Laurent and have him pull the car around. I don't want you outside too long since the wind has picked up and it's rather cold." he said as he kissed me on the tip of my nose. "Can't let my girl get sick from the weather now, can I?"

When we went in my condo, I closed the door and turned to look at James as he held me around my waist, "No you can't," I replied to his last statement and leaned in to kiss him. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face. "You always take such good care of me."

"Well, we shouldn't keep them waiting." James smirked and then leaned in to kiss me passionately before he pulled away and looked at me with softly hooded eyes, "Unless you've changed your mind?"

I pushed him away and smiled, "No, I think we should go. I would like to get to know Edward better since he's Emmett's brother and all."

"Okay babe. Let's get going. Laurent has been waiting long enough and is probably wondering what's taking so long," he said as he winked and then held out his hand. "Give me your keys and I'll lock up for you."

"There you go again, taking care of me." I handed him my keys as I stepped out into the hallway. "Thank you."

James held my hand and we were in the lobby before I knew it. Laurent was waiting outside with the car. When we hopped in, I realized how easy it was to get used to climbing into a heated car with heated seats, since the cold Chicago winter weather had arrived early this year.

**~o0o~**

Before I knew it, we had arrived at Moran's. James got out first and helped me step down and out of the Escalade. He wrapped me tightly into his side to protect me from the strong gusts of wind which seemed to come out of nowhere as we made our way quickly inside Moran's.

"Hey Bella," Tyler called out from behind the bar, as James tightened his arm even more around me.

"Hey there, can you tell me where Rose is at?"

"Sure thing beautiful. They are at the bar upstairs waiting for you guys," he smiled and winked as if trying to get a rise out of James. "Would you like me to show you the way?"

"Thanks," I said, before James interrupted.

"No need dude, I know where it's at." He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the stairwell that was located in the adjoining room. I looked over my shoulder as he did and mouthed _'sorry'_ to Tyler, who just shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

James lead me as he moved around the empty tables in the bar as if he was on a mission. Just as we got to the bottom of the stairwell, he pulled me to him and kissed me deeply. When he pulled back I could see a hint of lust in his eyes.

"I'm sorry about that babe, but he was flirting with you and I just didn't like the way he was looking at you. It was as if you were the last woman on earth."

I stroked his cheek lightly and looked into his eyes before I spoke, "James, you have nothing to worry about. You're my boyfriend. Tyler is just a harmless guy who likes to flirt with everyone." I kissed him gently on the lips before I grabbed his hand again and lead him upstairs.

When we arrived into the small bar area, which usually was used for private parties, I paused in the doorway, looked around the room and smiled. I saw Rose and Alice sitting on a couch in the room, while Emmett, Jasper and Edward were standing next to the bar having what looked to be a rather heated discussion. As I pulled James into the room and held his hand tightly, the wooden floor boards squeaked and everyone looked over to where we were stood.

"Hey there sweetie. I'm glad you guys decided to come," Rose cooed as she came over to give me a hug. She looked genuinely happy to see me, but had what looked like a slight bit of concern deep in her eyes.

"Oh! My! God! " Alice squealed as she bounced over to Jasper. "Honey, look. Bella and James are here. Isn't that great?"

"Yes honey, I can see that. Hi Bella, Hi James," Jasper greeted us as he sauntered over towards us to shake James' hand and then gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Well, my little Bells finally arrived. And she brought that boyfriend of hers too that she's been hiding," Emmett bellowed as he walked up to me with a bright smile. He then engulfed me into one of his typical bear hugs and picked me off the ground. Once he put me down, he turned to James and shook his hand. "It's nice to see you. I wish you and Bella would be around more instead of you just having her to yourself. You know she is like the little sister I never had." He looked at me and smirked before he turned back to nudge James in the shoulder.

I startled when I heard the proximity of the next voice, even though I knew he was in the room. "Hello, James it's been a long time. It's nice to see you again." Edward addressed him in a relatively formal manner as he offered his hand to James. James shook his hand, somewhat reluctantly, as he looked at me to see my reaction.

Edward released his hand and turned to me, leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek and whispered into my ear, "I'm glad you came. It's nice to see you again."

"Edward, it's also nice to see you again." I felt the blush take over my cheeks as I whispered back to him, and then felt James recapture my hand in his.

Emmett's voice brought me out of the haze I had found myself in, "Hey this little boy over here is hungry. Do you think we could figure out what we want to eat, and then we start up the conversations again?"

**~o0o~**

Shortly after the order was placed, one of the strikingly beautiful waitresses arrived with our drinks and then said something to Emmett before she left. He then started to move a few of the tables around to make one large enough for the seven of us to sit at.

"Ok, Amber told me the food should be here soon."

Rose grabbed my hand asking me if I would go to the bathroom with her. I obliged, as it seemed more like an order than a request to go with her.

Once we walked down to where the restrooms were, Rose looked at me with concern. "Honey, is everything okay between you and James?"

"Of course it is. Why?"

"Well, the way he keeps looking at you and then at Edward... I just thought he might be upset with you."

"Rose, he hasn't even asked me about me being out with Edward today. I think he knows how much I care for him and that he is my boyfriend. I've just met Edward and there is nothing for him to worry about. Edward and I are friends, just like I'm friends with Emmett and Jasper. Are you sure you're not really trying to find out if Emmett and I have something on the side." I finished with an exaggerated stare and tried to bait a reaction out of her.

"Okay Bells, I see your point. I was just worried. Edward must have been overreacting to the conversation you had with Laurent earlier today."

"What do you mean?" I responded as my mind started to think back to the conversation. _Why would Edward be worried? The conversation with Laurent was one I've had many times when James wasn't around, and I didn't follow my normal routine of going home after work?_

"Well, when Edward got here this evening, he was telling Emmett and me about what you guys did today. He told us that when you guys got back to the condo, Laurent was waiting for you. Edward was somewhat concerned why he was so interested about your whereabouts since he didn't remember you receiving any phone calls while you guys were out."

"Oh…I'm not sure what to say other than you know how James is about wanting to make sure I'm safe."

She waved it off, "Oh, it was really nothing. Emmett has always said that Edward was a sensitive one," then looked and adjusted her hair in the mirror. "Edward just thought James might be a little over protective or controlling when it came to you and what you were doing."

"Really? I just think with his dad running for mayor he doesn't want me to be bothered. He always tells me how persistent the press can be, and how he wants me to be able to continue to live as normal a life as possible when I am not with him or his family."

"Ok sweetie…I'm going to let it go, but if you need or want to talk about it later just let me know," she responded as she smiled and hugged me. "Now we should get back out there before Alice and Jasper have driven the others out of the room with all their public displays of affection."

**~o0o~**

As we walked back into the room, Amber was already there with our food. Everyone was seated around the table, and I noticed the two empty seats for us. Rose sashayed over and took the one between Emmett and James, and I was left to sit between James and Edward. When I arrived a few feet from the table, Edward immediately stood and pulled my chair out. I took my seat and gave him a small smile while whispering, "Thank you."

James then leaned over and kissed me on the cheek while he grasped my hand and placed it on his lap. "Hey sugar, I missed you. I wish you wouldn't be away when I haven't seen you all day."

"Well, won't you look at that?" Emmett barked out while looking across the table at Jasper and Alice. They were kissing and definitely in their own little world. "Maybe we should move to another table and let the love birds go at it."

"Hey, give a guy a break; I've been on the road for two weeks. I finally get to see my gal and we just need a little time to get reacquainted," Jasper pleaded as he turned to look at the rest of us, and did a double take when he looked at James and I. "It looks like I'm not the only one who misses their girl, isn't that right James?"

"Absolutely. If it would have been up to me we would have spent the night, just the two of us, but my sugar here wanted to come out and welcome Edward back to Chicago. How could I have denied her that?" He placed his arm around me and pulled me and my chair closer so that we were touching him.

I hated the attention he had put on me and could see in my peripheral vision that Edward looked straight ahead as he tried to hold his tongue. "Well, if I'm interrupting something with you guys and your girls, maybe I should just leave."

"No! Wait!" I blurted out before I even had time to think. "This is about all of us getting to know each other better. We had such a nice time this afternoon at the nature museum and I know we will all be great friends."

As I finished talking, I felt James' arm tighten around his shoulder. He leaned in to place a kiss behind my ear, and then barely whispered, "So you were with him today? Were you trying to keep that a secret from me?" He took a long pause before he finished, "We will talk about this later."

He took his arm from around me and extended it to Edward, then sarcastically said, "No offense Eddie, I just don't get to spend as much time as I want to with my Bella here. You know, with the Mayoral race heating up and all."

"Really? You are affected directly by the Mayoral Race Jimmy? I thought it was your father who was running for Mayor and not you." Edward retorted through gritted teeth.

"Hey, there, you two," Emmett reprimanded. "Tonight is about welcoming back my brother and enjoying time with friends. If the two of you can't act like the mature and successful people you are, then you can just leave."

When Emmett finished speaking, I felt James lean back in his chair as he grabbed my hand and started to pull as if he wanted to leave.

"I'm sorry James; I was out of line since I have no idea what it takes to win an election in this town. Will you accept my apology?" Edward spoke with regret as he rose from his chair and walked over to offer his hand to him.

James responded by standing up and shaking his hand, "Sure Edward, welcome back to Chicago. If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know."

Once they apologized, the night went better than expected. What I thought would be a quick dinner, turned into a night of getting to know each other better with lots of laughs. It was almost one in the morning before we got up to leave. We all hugged goodbye; Edward also gave me a kiss on the cheek.

James held me close again as we made our way out and grabbed a cab on the way home. When we arrived in front of the condo I leaned over to give him a kiss goodnight.

"Don't worry about getting out, I know it's very late and you need to get back to your place."

"Well, I just thought maybe I could stay here since I'd be back in a few hours anyway to make sure you got to work on time."

"Oh…well… I guess that would be fine."

Once that was settled, we both climbed out of the cab and headed up to my condo.

"Let me go grab some blankets and pillows. You don't mind sleeping on the couch, do you?"

"I was actually hoping I could stay with you in your bed. That is, if you're not uncomfortable with that."

"Sure…that would be fine…," I hesitated, as the thought of talking in my sleep ran through my head. _What if I say something about what Edward like I did today before I am able to talk to him about it? Why tonight, of all nights, does he want tonight to be the first night we sleep in the same bed?_

"Great then, I better get you into bed so that we can make sure you get some sleep so you can function at work in the morning."

**

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**Was this what you were expecting when James and Edward got together? Tell me if your thoughts by clicking on the link below and leaving me a reivew..it doesn't take very long and I really do care about what you all think...as always all other reviewers will get a regular teaser as soon as I have completed the chapter...**

**Thank you again to all of you who read, review, have put me on alert, favorited me or my story and who follow me on twitter or the forum... I have really been blown away by the response this story has gotten...It has truly made this year special.**

**I am going to try to post more quickly...I would make it a New Years resolution but we all know that those get broken by the end of January...So I will do my best to get updates out every two weeks or so... Thanks again and I hope you got everything you wanted for Christmas and have a Fantastic New Year!**

**~ChiTwiGal**


	16. Chapter 16 First Encounter

**HAPPY NEW YEAR...Well I kept to my promise of trying to update soon and so far it looks like I started 2011 out right.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... ****But the story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You :)**

**Special thanks go out to the most fantastic beta in the world Mommakal for turning this chapter around so quickly and without her help I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have any readers. My ****prereaders, Basketgirl, HongKongPhooey & TG10781 thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to give me your input. All of you are incredible women and very special to me in more than just this fandom... I love all to death.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Trayce/MonAmour...you have been an ****inspiration** to me since the day you came into my life...Get better soon! Love you & miss you! 

**

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****Chapter 16 – First Encounter**

As I awoke the following morning, I imagined being held closely by someone and felt the warmth of gentle sunlight on my face. _How could this be? I would have had to have been up by 4:30 to make it to work on time. Why did I feel like I was burning up now, and not able to move my arms?_

When I slowly opened my eyes, I realized that it was the sun which shone in my face. I then realized that I was not able to move due to the fact that, not only was I in someone arms, but they also had me wrapped up tight in a blanket. My immediate reaction was to try to get free until I turned to see that it was James holding me close. A tender smile graced his face.

"Good morning sugar, I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

"Wait…what time is it? I'm late for work...Angela is going to kill me." The words spewed from my mouth and I started to cough because of the tight hold James had around me.

"Baby, you're fine," James whispered in my ear then gently sucked my earlobe into his mouth before he continued, "I called Angela to let her know you weren't feeling well, and then drove the keys down so that Leah would have them to open up. She says she hopes your feeling better by the way." He then pulled me closer to him and started to kiss my neck while he slowly moved his hands up and down my sides.

"Thanks, but why didn't you wake me like you said you would last night? I really can't afford to not be working today, I have bills to pay." I responded with annoyance in my voice

"Sweetie, I just wanted to spend time with you, and I had nothing to do today that couldn't wait until tomorrow. So here I am and here you are. So what would you like to do?"

"Umm…I'm not really sure, but I think I should probably get up and take a shower." I started to get out of bed, but not before James was able to sit up and pull me back down as he forced a hard and deep kiss on me.

**~o0o~**

Over the next few weeks, Edward came to the shop every morning for his coffee and I would take my break while he was there. James always seemed to appear just a few minutes after I sat down and joined us. To me it seemed like they were old friends who had lost touch and were rediscovering their friendship. Edward was always a gentleman as he greeted James, even though he would have a somewhat annoyed look on his face whenever James would hold my hand, kiss my cheek or make reference to our relationship. I wasn't really sure why Edward seemed to be uncomfortable, but he kept coming in and always asked me if I could take my break when he arrived.

James and I also spent a lot of our free time with the whole gang- Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Edward. Jasper joined us too when he wasn't out of town for a gig. It was as if the four boys who grew up together had found ways to include the women in their lives into their lifelong friendship.

"Hey hun?" I started to say one night as James and I were cuddled on the couch waiting for the others to arrive to watch a movie.

"Yes sugar," James responded between the light kisses he was peppering my neck with.

"Don't you know anyone we can set Edward up with? He is so busy with work and finding a place of his own to live. I don't think he has time to find his special someone like the rest of us have."

"Well it's funny you should bring that up because I've been thinking the same thing. I have the perfect person and a perfect time for them to meet."

With that I sat up and looked him in the eyes, "Really? Who? When?"

"Well, my mom is involved with a benefit in a few weeks and I know that Edward's family will also be attending. My family has an extra ticket and there is this family friend who just moved back into town who I think would be just perfect for him."

"That sounds wonderful. Do you think I can meet her first?"

"I don't think so. I know she is still in the process of moving back and I'm not sure there will be anytime that will work out before the actual event."

"Ok, I guess I can wait. Thanks for thinking about him and helping him try to find a special someone. It would make everything just right." I threw my arms around his neck and leaned in close, kissing him passionately so that he could understand how much I appreciated him doing this, not only for me, but for Edward too.

**~o0o~**

"Bella, I need you to show the ladies from the Chicago Abused Woman's Coalition auxiliary board around just after we close tonight. Will that be a problem?"

"Of course not Mrs. Cope. With the holidays coming up I could use the extra hours."

"Thanks, I knew I could count on you. I expect there to be two or three of them, and they will be making final decisions regarding their upcoming benefit as to which galleries they would like to use for cocktails and desserts. Maybe you can make some suggestions as to where those can take place. They will be having the dinner portion in the Stock Exchange Trading Room." She smiled at me, "Oh, and I should warn you. One of the ladies is rather demanding, but I have faith that you will pick out the perfect places. Once their decision is finalized we can finally finish what we need to do on our end."

I nodded as she left and said a silent prayer that I would do the right thing. This could be the stepping stone I needed to get into another role at the museum.

My shift flew by and before I knew it, the announcement had been made over the intercom that the museum would be closing in five minutes. I took that as my cue and made my way to the visitors' desk and waited for the board members to arrive.

Just as the guard was about to close the door, Mrs. Cope appeared and an attractive blonde hair woman with stunning green eyes briskly walked in.

"I'm sorry I'm late. The El was running behind and I just refuse to take a cab when public transportation is the easiest way around this city."

"Mrs. Cullen, how nice to see you again," Mrs. Cope replied as she extended her hand in welcome. "I'd like you to meet Bella Swan. She is one of our associates here who I've asked to show you around. She will show you what she believes will be the perfect spots for your upcoming event."

"Nice to meet you Bella. What a beautiful name you have." She greeted me with a motherly smile and shook my hand. "You can call me Esme. Mrs. Cullen was my mother in law. God rest her soul."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you will like the galleries I picked out. Would you like to get started? I'm sure you have a family or other things to attend to."

"Sweetheart, I do have a lovely family but my children are all grown and my husband is always working late, so there is no need to rush. Mrs. Cope, has Jane... I mean Mrs. Volturi, arrived yet?"

When I heard that name, I almost fainted. _Mrs. Volturi was the other woman making the decision? The mother of my boyfriend, who I had yet to meet? I knew I should have taken a look at myself in the mirror before rushing down here. Was this for the benefit James had been talking to me about? Oh, no...what am I going to do?_

"Bella, Bella, are you alright honey?" A sweet melodious voice called to me. "Mrs. Cope, she looks like she might faint. Is there a chair we can have her sit down on?"

When I opened my eyes, Mrs. Cope and Esme were assisting me into a chair. They then squatted in front of me and looked intently into my eyes.

Esme gently stroked my cheek. "Bella are you feeling okay? We lost you there for a second. I thought you were going to faint."

"Umm…I'm fine… a little light headed. Just probably low blood sugar…I didn't have time to eat between the coffee shop and coming to work here," I spewed out before I even knew what I had said.

"Here." Esme handed me what looked like a candy bar. "This should help. I find myself skipping meals sometimes so I always have a protein bar just in case."

"Thank you," I said sheepishly as I opened the wrapper and took a bite.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a loud bang on the front entrance and someone yelled something.

"Oh, it looks like Jane has finally arrived," Esme chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Be careful when you let her in. It looks like she might be in one of her moods."

"Thanks for the warning ma'am," Sam, the guard, responded as he started to unlock the door.

"Why wasn't the door open?" James' mother barked at Sam.

"Ma'am, the museum closed over twenty minutes ago."

"Well, someone knew I was coming so the door should have been open," she yelled back. "Do you know who I am and what would have happened if something happened to me out there?"

"Umm…no ma'am. I was just doing my job."

I looked up and saw a bitter looking lady with mousy brown hair and dark eyes, which almost looked black. They were fixated on me as if I was the reason why no one had paid her any attention.

"So, is everyone just going to sit there staring at that girl or are you finally going to acknowledge that I am here?"

Esme smiled at me before she turned her head so that she was looking at Mrs. Volturi, "Well hello Jane, it's so nice of you to finally join us. Bella here was a little dizzy. So please understand, we weren't purposely ignoring you."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Volturi, but I'm the one who should have been welcoming you," Mrs. Cope interrupted. "Please accept my sincerest apology for not having greeted you sooner."

"Well, you're just lucky that the benefit is happening so soon, otherwise we might be looking for a more suitable venue where their staff takes my time more seriously."

"Now Jane," Esme started to say after clearing her throat, "Mrs. Cope meant no offense. We were both just a little worried that Bella might faint, and if you would have been on time you would understand."

I stood, moved forward and offered my hand in both welcome and apology. "Mrs. Volturi, I'm sorry for any inconvenience I might have caused. I know your time is very valuable, so if you are ready I can show you the galleries I believe will be perfect to use for the benefit."

**~o0o~**

A few minutes later, we stood in the middle of galleries 124 through127 where the **'Gray Collection: Seven Centuries of Art' **exhibit was currently displayed. It was not open to public exhibition yet.

"Mrs. Volturi and Mrs. Cullen, the Gray Collection will give your benefit attendees the chance to be able to preview and spend some uninterrupted time with an amazing private collection of one of America's foremost art dealers, Richard Gray, and his wife, art historian and author, Mary Lackritz Gray. The collection includes more than 120 of the Grays' most important works from the fifteenth century to the present times. It will give each of your guest a chance to experience an amuse-bouche from each of the centuries represented. The collection includes drawings, paintings and sculptures from masters who include Rubens, Degas, and Picasso."

"Bella, that sounds lovely. Don't you think Jane?"

"I'm not very happy that this location is so close to the front lobby, but it is a plus that our guests would have the opportunity to see such a rare collection prior to it being open to the public." Mrs. Volturi countered.

"I think what Jane is concerned about is the distance and logistics of how we will get our guests back to the Stock Exchange Trading Room for the main meal."

"I've already thought about that and understand your concern. But there are some fine collections of Islamic, Indian and South East Asian art which most people skip over when they visit. So, I thought I would speak with a few of our tour guides to see if they would be willing to volunteer their time for the event to do a short tour while escorting the guest to where dinner was being held."

"Oh Bella, that sounds like a perfect plan. You don't think it would be a problem getting volunteers?" Esme asked with excitement in her voice.

"No, I'm sure they would be excited to be a part of raising money for such a worthwhile cause," I quickly stated while looking over at Mrs. Volturi. I hoped that she would like the idea also.

"As long as there would be no additional costs. And the individuals you get to volunteer must understand that those who are attending are some of the most influential people in the city and know how to properly act," she said with a stern look, as if to tell me she would remember exactly whom to blame if things didn't go flawlessly. "Then I suppose the use of these galleries for cocktails will be suitable."

"Oh Jane, why do you have to always be so negative? Bella has given us a great opportunity here with this collection and the special private tours. I don't believe she would do anything intentionally to make our guests not have the best experience possible." Esme cooed while looking at me with an apology in her eyes for what Mrs. Volturi had implied.

"Esme, I was not being critical. I just wanted to make sure that Bella knew how important it was for everything to be perfect that evening."

"Yes Mrs. Volutri, I am taking my offer to get volunteers very seriously, as I would never want to embarrass myself, the Art Institute or the Chicago Abused Woman's Coalition."

"Well then, I will trust you to find the best of the best from here to assist for the evening. If all goes well, I'm sure Esme and I will be more than happy to let the appropriate people here at the Art Institute know how helpful you were to our event being a success."

"Now that we have that settled Bella, why don't you show us where you think the proper gallery for desert should be?" Esme suggested with a smile as she stood aside and let me lead the way.

**~o0o~**

We took the exact path the attendees would take to dinner, as we walked back to where the Chagall American Windows were recently put back on display after an absence of five years, as the museum was being expanded and renovated. The beauty of the new gallery that they were being displayed in was that they were able to be viewed on either side. During the day they were illuminated with natural light, but in the evening artificial light gave it a different, yet still stunning, centerpiece to the new Arthur Rubloff Building.

"To me there are only a few pieces which the people of Chicago associate and beloved more in the Art Institute collection then the Chagall windows. What a most appropriate place for your guests to end their evening enjoying exquisite deserts and cordials while being able to gaze at this masterpiece. You know, it was given as a gift to the Institute to celebrate America's bicentennial and the memory of Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1977."

"Oh it's simply perfect Bella. In fact, this is the first time I have seen them since they went back on display just a few weeks ago. You truly have chosen perfect areas of this great museum to give our guests an evening they won't soon forget."

"Well thank you Esme, I'm glad you like my choices. Mrs. Volturi, what do you think about the Chagall Windows as the final view your guests will have that evening?"

"They are very beautiful Bella, but somewhat predictable for anyone who has ever been to the museum," she said as she looked around to see what else was in the area. "But since they have only recently been put back on display, I believe that everyone will enjoy getting reacquainted with it like you would an old friend."

"That's the perfect way to look at it Jane…just like seeing an old friend again." Esme smiled as she gazed at the windows. "Bella, thank you so much for taking time out of your evening to show us these galleries. You have helped us make this benefit even better than I ever thought it could be."

"You're welcome Esme," and I immediately felt the heat of the blush beginning to grace my face. "If there is nothing else, I can escort you back to the lobby so that you can get on with the rest of your evening."

**~o0o~**

We arrived in the lobby a few minutes later and said our goodbyes. Mrs. Volturi left immediately with a quick handshake and the scowl she had when she walked in.

Esme shook my hand and then gave me a gentle hug before she left. Just as she was about to walk out the door she turned to me and smiled, "It was a pleasure meeting you tonight Bella. I hope to see you again at the benefit, as I would like to introduce you to my husband and my sons. I'm sure they will be as delighted to meet you as I was."

Once she left and the door was closed, I found the chair behind the visitor's desk as my legs felt like they might collapse again. Little did she know, not only did I know her sons but also Jane's. I placed my face into my hands and wondered down deep inside how Mrs. Volturi would react to someone as insignificant as me being her son's girlfriend.

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**So what did you all think about Jane and Esme entering the story? Who is the person James wants to set up Edward with? Are you still wondering if Bella talked in her sleep? Tell me if your thoughts by clicking on the link below and leaving me a reivew..it doesn't take very long and I really do care about what you all think...as always all reviewers will get a regular teaser as soon as I have completed the chapter and it is off to the beta. **

**Thank you again to all of you who read, review, have put me on alert, favorited me or my story and who follow me on twitter or the forum... I continue to been blown away by the response this story has gotten as it is rather different then most of those out there...I am humbled by all your support.**

**I've got the next chapter outlined and even a few paragraphs written with luck I will update in about two weeks... **

**Recommendations: **

**Fill My Little World by HongKongPhooey (Multi-chapter)**

**Flight Plans by Risbee (One-shot)**

**Bereit by Gothic Temptress (One-shot)**

**These are all wonderful authors so check them out**

**Thanks again :)**

**~ChiTwiGal**


	17. Chapter 17 Bella of the Ball

**So are you surprised to see this already? I know I said I would update in two weeks but I found a muse I so desperately needed.**

**She has created a few polyvores for the story which we will be sharing when the next chapter posts and am dedicating this chapter to her**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEMMA!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... ****But the story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You :)**

**Special thanks go out to the most fantastic beta in the world Mommakal for turning this chapter around so quickly. She got snowed in and spent her day making this look all pretty for you. My ****prereaders, Basketgirl, HongKongPhooey, NJNYTwigal-H & TG10781 thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to give me your input. All of you are incredible women and very special to me in more than just this fandom... I love all to death.**

**Finally a special shout out to Trayce/MonAmour...Get better soon or I might have the Tweedles read you my story...LOL**

**I Love you & miss you! **

**

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**Chapter 17 – Bella of the Ball**

I tossed and turned that night as I thought about how James' mother would react to us dating. I got the impression that she wasn't very fond of those who were outside of her social circle. Esme, on the other hand, was exactly what I expected. I had always wondered where her sons got their caring side from, and I now knew it was from her.

My mind also raced with thoughts of what would happen at the Gala. _Would I have the right dress? Would I be able to interact with people there without feeling self conscience? What would everyone think of me? Would they look at me with pity even though I was with James? How would I make it through the night wearing high heels and being somewhat of a klutz?_ These and many other thoughts kept me from getting a good night sleep and before I knew it, my alarm had gone off and it was time for me to get to Uncommon Grounds.

"Hey there Sugar, how did you sleep?" James greeted me in the lobby with a chaste kiss on the cheek and grabbed my hand to lead me out to our waiting car.

"Umm…okay I guess… just a lot on my mind."

"Really? Anything you want to talk about?" he said as he leaned over to kiss me again but this time it was much deeper. The heat was all over my body in an instant. I suddenly remembered that Laurent was up front in the driver seat. I wondered if he was watching and that possibility made me very uncomfortable.

"Well, you had mentioned something about an event your mother was planning. When is it?"

"It will be a week from this Saturday. I was going to talk to you about it more when I stopped by for your break this morning. I'm hoping that Edward will be there today so that I can ask him if he will be attending too." He then pulled me closer to kiss me again. "I missed you last night. I'm sorry I couldn't come by but the election is heating up and my dad needed me to do a few things for him. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"I understand you have other commitments and we can't be together all the time. I really do." I was somewhat uncomfortable again that Laurent was within ear shot while we discussed our personal matters.

As we pulled up in front of the coffee shop, James grabbed my face between his hands and looked me in the eye, "Hey baby, you seem distant this morning. Are you sure you don't want to talk about anything?"

I felt a lump rise in my throat and thought about all the things going through my mind overnight, but decided to just keep them to myself. "I'm just tired. I had to work late last night and then up early this morning. It's really nothing."

"Okay, I just want you to know you can always talk to me if something is bothering you," James cooed as he gently stroked my cheek with his thumb and then leaned in to kiss me gently on the lips before I had to leave. "I'll see you in a few hours Sugar. I'll miss you until then."

I stepped out of the car to see my work associates looking at me again with frustration as they waited for me to open the door so they could get in from the cold.

**~o0o~**

A few hours later, Edward, Rose and Emmett walked in for their morning coffee. I didn't see Rose last night since she decided she needed to spend time with her man. I knew I needed to talk to her, but this wasn't the right place or time.

"Hey there you guys, you want your regulars?" I questioned them as they walked through the door.

"Bells, make mine for here today. I thought we could catch up during your break. That is if you don't mind Edward?" Rose looked at him apprehensively.

"Nope, that would be great. I wanted to talk to you two about something anyways," Edward replied with a smirk.

"Sure, no problem. I'll have them right up."

Once their coffees were ready, Emmett took his and kissed Rose good-bye. I then joined the others at our normal table. "So, what did you want to talk to us about?" I inquired as I put down their drinks and took my seat.

"Well, you know about the fundraising event my mom is planning for the Abused Women's Coalition?" As Edward finished, I looked over to the door of the shop just as James entered with a tall, stunning red-head draped on his arm.

"Yes, what about it?" Rose responded, not realizing that Edward and I were a bit preoccupied with what we saw.

"Umm…," Edward stuttered, "Well, I was just wondering if you would think it would be strange for me to take Alice as my date, since Jasper will be out of town that weekend for a gig?"

Rose continued to talk, still oblivious to James, who by then, was standing at our table, "I think that is a perfect idea. It can be more of a group thing. There will be enough stuffy couples there and I'm sure we can bring some life to the party. Right, Bells?"

"Sure…," I hesitated, not sure how James would feel about that. "Don't you think James?"

As soon as I said his name, Rose looked up and smirked, "Hey, look what the cat dragged in. Oh, and he seems to have brought a toy along."

"Well aren't we in a jovial mood this morning Rose? Don't you have someplace to be?" James inquired.

"Nope, I actually rearranged by schedule to spend some time with my friends here," as she gestured across the table with her hand toward Edward and me. "Are you going to introduce your accessory here or are we just going to have to guess her name?"

"This would happen to be Victoria, an old friend of both James and I from back in grade school," Edward interrupted, before James could respond. He stood and extended his hand to her.

Victoria released James' arm and walked around to where Edward stood. "A hand shake? Is that all I get? It's been a long time, but you must remember we used to play Doctor together," she suggested, then wrapped her arms tightly around him and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek.

"Well, it is nice to see you again but I thought you were living out of the country?" Edward contested as he pulled himself back and looked at her.

"I was, but I have decided to move back to Chicago. It's my home and I can't bear to be away from it any longer." She rubbed her hands up and down Edward's arms and looked at him like he was something to devour. "I hear you are also moving back into town. What a coincidence!"

"Actually Victoria, I never left. I've always lived here; just traveled for a majority of my time."

"Ahemmm?" I interrupted, "Can I get you something Victoria?"

"Oh, no sweetie. I'll just wait for the waitress and order then."

I looked down at my hands and whispered, "I work here, so I guess you could call me the waitress."

"Oh I'm sorry. I guess I should have been able to tell that from the apron you are wearing. In that case, sure... how about a latte bowl, skim, and extra hot, two pumps of vanilla with just a touch of foam. Do you think you can get that for me sweetie?"

"Of course she can," Rose bellowed back, as if she was protecting me from a vicious animal.

I left to get Victoria and James their drinks and hoped that by the time I got back, things had settled down and everyone was getting along. _Victoria had no idea who I was and probably didn't mean any ill will towards me. Maybe she doesn't even know that I'm James' girlfriend. He did say she was just getting back into town._

As I approached the table with their drinks, it looked like everyone was at least talking. Rose was still sitting, arms crossed, which alerted me to the fact that she wasn't happy about something, but I figured we could talk about that later.

Before I knew it Rose had said her good-byes, and not soon after that, James and Victoria left. James said something about taking Victoria to meet up with his dad and then having to do some things at the campaign office. _Why would he take Victoria to meet his dad when I still hadn't?_

"I guess I'll see you later then," I responded as James went to leave.

"Bells, just call Laurent and let him know if you want a ride home or if you prefer to walk after your shift. He'll be waiting for your call."

"Could you just tell him if he doesn't hear from me I'm fine. I have some things to pick up after work, so I'll probably just walk."

"No problem. I'll see you later then." Victoria laced her arm with James as they headed out the door to go see his dad.

"Hey, are you alright?" Edward said softly, as he grabbed my hand.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look white as a ghost. Maybe you should sit down for a second," he suggested as he got up and pulled a chair out for me to sit on. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"It really is nothing…really…"

"Bella, if it's not a big deal then just tell me already. You really do seem a little annoyed."

"Well…this is going to sound stupid, but I'm just surprised that James is taking Victoria to see his father when I haven't even met his parents yet." _I knew this wasn't the complete truth but Jane had no idea that I was dating her son and after seeing Victoria I was now positive that she wouldn't think I was good enough for him._

Edward grabbed my hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Hey, you need to understand that James' and Victoria's families are old friends, so her going to see his father is him bringing a friend. I'm sure he's just waiting for the right moment to introduce you, trust me."

I lifted my eyes to his and smiled, "Thanks, that really does make me feel better. I wish I could stay but my break was over a while ago and I should get back to work."

"Sure, but before you go, I heard you say you had some errands to run after work. I was actually wondering, if you wouldn't mind, coming with me. I need to get a new tux for this event and thought maybe you could help me pick something out."

"Actually that sounds perfect. I need to get a dress so if I help you then you can help me, as I have no idea what type of dress I should be looking for."

"Trust me Bella, I'm sure you will look beautiful in whatever you decide to wear but if you'd like my help, I would be honored to accompany you on your shopping excursion."

"Thank you Edward. I'm not sure how I ever survived without you. Now, let me go and get you a fresh coffee before I get back to work."

**~o0o~**

My afternoon with Edward was so much fun. Just like the first time we spent time alone together, it was as if we were long lost friends. We went to Michigan Avenue so that he could get his tux at Nieman Marcus. I had no idea that tuxes could be so hard to pick out. They must have had over twenty styles to choose from, and then even more styles of shirts, vests and ties. It took us over three hours by the time we picked out all the accessories, before he was properly fitted.

We then headed into the dress department. Every price tag I looked at was so far out of what I could afford. Edward convinced me to try on a few of them just so that I could see how they looked and to help me to get familiar with the styles that would be appropriate for the event. I originally thought black would be the color I would have to wear, but he kept telling me that the event was formal but that didn't mean I couldn't wear something with color. Especially since it was at the Art Institute, others would probably also be expressing themselves through their choice of dress for the night.

As I looked around, my eyes kept drifting to a beautiful, short strapless dark lavender cocktail dress. The color of it reminded me of the rose I had received and also the butterfly that was sent. It was beautiful with a thin band with a small bow off to the side and a few graduated layers of chiffon falling about mid-thigh. I grabbed a couple of dresses to try on, but never went out to show Edward. I felt so out of place in them; it wasn't me. I had only worn simple black dresses to weddings or nice dinners. Getting all dressed up was more of something Rose and Alice did.

I saved the one that caught my eye and tried it on last, and when I turned and looked in the mirror everything about it seemed to be just perfect. The beautiful color, the way the fabric flowed and the way it made me look curvier then I actually was. I was afraid to look at the price, as I was sure it was out of my price range. I was pleasantly surprised that it was on sale and something I could afford if I was willing to dip into my savings. After I twirled around in it a few more times I decided that the dress and I were worth the money.

"So did you find one?" Edward smiled as he looked at me coming out of the dressing area.

"Yes, I think I did."

"So you didn't need my advice after all," he stated. "You went in there and just decided on your own."

Gently, I placed my hand on Edwards arm. "Actually, you were a huge help. If it wasn't for you, I would be walking out of here with just a simple black dress but I'm taking your advice and putting a little color into my life."

"I'm glad I could be of service. Oh, and Bella, I think that color will be beautiful on you, but I can't imagine you not looking beautiful in anything you would choose."

With his compliment, I felt the heat rise on my cheeks and knew I had blushed as red as a tomato. I walked quickly over to the sales associate, Kelly, so that I could pay. She informed me that they were having a sale on shoes and knew the perfect ones for the dress and offered to help me with those. So off we went to the shoe department where she grabbed a pair of champagne peep-toe stilettos which were higher than I would actually wear. I tried them on and wobbled on the thin heal. After a few minutes though, I thought that maybe I could actually pull them off. I smiled at his words again wondering how he could know what things to say to me to make me relax and feel like I could pull this night at the gala off.

After a few minutes, Kelly came back with a purse to match the shoes, and some jewelry. I knew there was no way I could afford it _all _but decided to splurge and get the shoes and purse.

"I think that's it Kelly. Do you think we can settle the damages now?"

"Sure ma'am…just follow me."

**~o0o~**

The next few days passed by quickly as I was busy helping with the final plans for the Gala on Saturday. Mrs. Cope gave me the responsibility of making sure the plans were properly documented and that those who were volunteering their time were properly trained on how to approach the guest and such. She was somewhat surprised, but also actually excited for me, when I told her I would help out as much as I could that evening even though I would be in attendance at the event.

"Bella, so how did you get so lucky?" She asked with a beaming smile on her face.

"It just so happens, my boyfriend's mother was involved in planning for it. It will be the first time I meet them."

"Oh, Bella I'm so happy you have found someone who can let you enjoy the finer things in life. You are such a sweet girl and I want you to enjoy your evening. I'll make sure that Tammy knows that she can find you if she has questions, but I'm sure she will be able to handle things without you." She smiled and gave me a gentle hug. "Now, you should get going as you have a big night tomorrow."

"Thanks Mrs. Cope. I think everything is ready and the museum will shine tomorrow night."

"Good night Bella, and if I don't see you tomorrow…please try to relax and enjoy yourself."

**~o0o~**

As usual when I stepped outside, Laurent was waiting to take me home. I was actually excited to see him since I was rather tired and just wanted to get home to relax.

I entered the condo and found Rose sitting on the couch. She had a smile on her face as wide as the Cheshire cat's.

"Hey Rose, what's up? You look like you were caught with your hand in the cookie jar."

"Bella, I think you need to sit down."

"Oh, Rose is something wrong?"

"No, on the contrary, you received a delivery today and the return address says Tiffany's on Michigan Avenue."

"What?"

"Here… I think you should open it." Rose directed as she shoved the box into my hands.

I took the box and opened it, wondering what I would find inside. I pulled out the light blue box and started to untie the ribbon and could feel my stomach tied in knots. _Who would send me something from Tiffany's? Maybe it's from James? Who else could it possibly be from?_

Inside the box was a note.

**_Dear Bella-_**

**_A little bird told me you would be attending your first gala tomorrow night. I thought that you should have a special remembrance of the evening. I hope you like it._**

**_~E._**

**_

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_**

**So what do you think is inside the box? You can leave me your thoughts when you leave a review and remember all reviews also get a teaser.**

**I have signed up and will be contributing an Outtake for the Fandom for Floods campaign to help the Flood victims in Australia. This tragedy has hit close to home not only because of my Fandom friends there but also because it was exactly one year ago when I took my first and only trip there. What a difference a year makes. So I am asking all of my readers to give me ideas on what outtake they would like to see. So just add them to your review. If you would like to contribute you can find out more at fandomsfightthefloods(.)blogspot(.)com just remove the () marks when you copy and paste it into your browser.**

**I will be being interviewed for a podcast on Fandomspotlight(.)blogspot(.)com on January 21st... If you would like to submit a question to be asked either about the story, my view on something in the fandom or about me... Please forward your questions to fandomspotlightgmail(.)com as always just remove the ()**

**I have also started to post my story on Twiwrite(.)net You can continue to read it here or over there. I know many of us have been frustrated by the locking of screens to get us to fill out surverys so I wanted give everyone another option.**

**Thanks again for reading and supporting my story. I can honestly say this is one of the best and most rewarding experiences of my life**

**I have the next chapter outlined and hope to have it written soon. I plan on posting within the next two weeks of sooner.**

**~ChiTwiGal**


	18. Chapter 18 Meet the Parents part one

**I'm so sorry for the long time between updates. All I can say is that my RL has been spinning for the last 5 weeks...literally**

**I promise that I will try to get my next chapter out in the next two weeks. Just bare with me if it doesn't happen.**

**A great friend has made a polyvore which is related to this chapter & the next one... Go take a look if you want to see what Bella is wearing & her gift. You can find it at:**

**http:/www(.)polyvore(.)com/cgi/set?id=28068710 just remove the () marks when you copy and paste it into your browser.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... ****But the story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You :)**

**Special thanks go out to the most fantastic beta in the world Mommakal I gave her the chapter on Monday morning and had it back from her when I woke up today. Thank you so much as I know you had extra work to do on the chapter because of that spinning problem of mine. My ****prereaders, Basketgirl, NJNYTwigal-H, TG10781 & HongKongPhooey thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to give me your input. All of you are very special to me in more than just this fandom... I love all to death.**

**Finally a special shout out to Trayce/MonAmour...Welcome home! ****I Love you**

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**Chapter 18 – Meet the Parents (part one)**

My dreams that night were filled with questions.

_Who was this E who kept sending me gifts?_

_Why hadn't he introduced himself if he was willing to buy me expensive things?_

_Why me? I was just a simple girl who had a small circle of friends._

_How did he know who I was and where I lived?_

_How would James react if he found out about or if I wore the gift?_

_Should I wear it?_

_Will he be at the gala?_

With all of those thoughts going through my head it was hard to believe that I got any rest at all that night, but when I woke the following morning I did feel like I had actually slept.

Rose and I spent the morning just relaxing and doing girl things. I didn't have the money to get a manicure or pedicure so Rose decided to forgo hers, and instead we decided to just do them ourselves. I really enjoyed doing the girly things that I never had the opportunity to do when I was growing up. Growing up on a farm and having a boy as my closest friend, I did things like throw a football, took care of the animals or just wandered the fields. Spending that time with Rose made me feel like I was back in my teenage years experiencing things for the first time.

Alice joined us later that afternoon, just as we had started the final preparations of doing our hair and make up for the evening. She seemed down due to the fact that Jasper had been out of town the night before for a gig and wasn't going to make it back in time for the event.

"Al, I'm sorry about Jasper not being here but I'm sure you'll have fun with Edward," I said, trying to make her feel better as she started the long routine of doing my make-up for the evening.

"Yeah, I know, it's just that everyone will be with someone they love and I'll just be with someone I love's brother," she whined and stuck out her bottom lip to emphasize her pouting.

"Oh, give us a break Alice. At least tonight we will get to see you and talk to you instead of you being so caught up in Jasper. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you found yourself a man you can lose yourself in, but it's almost as if we don't even exist when he's in the room," Rose interjected, as she gazed into the mirror at Alice with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, I get it," Alice conceded, "I do miss hanging out with you too. Just promise that you won't forget about me tonight and get all wrapped up in your guys."

"I promise," Rose and I said in unison before all three of us laughed like school girls.

**~o0o~**

Over an hour later we had our make-up on and hair readied. All that was left to do was to put our dresses on. Everyone was coming by our place, as James insisted that we all go together and that we do it in _style_.

"Hey, how long before the guys get here?" Alice yelled from the bathroom.

"About thirty minutes," Rose responded as she appeared in my room with a bottle of champagne and glasses in hand. "Just enough time for us to have a quick toast before we get dressed and put on those extra special touches." She smirked at me and I knew exactly what she was talking about.

When I looked away from Rose, Alice stood in the doorway looking between us. "What's the big secret?"

"There's no secret Al," I responded, but felt the heat of my blush give away the fact I was lying.

"Oh Bella, just tell her already," Rose encouraged. "She's going to see it soon anyway."

"Come on Bells… I never get to know anything anymore," she whined as she bounced up and down and tried to hold her excitement.

"Alright, why don't we all get dressed and then I will show you. That way, we will still be ready when the guys get here."

"Good idea. Come on Alice. You can get dressed in my room, as I know Bells wants to surprise us with what she is wearing," Rose teased, as she pulled Alice with her out of my room. "She hasn't even showed me the dress yet."

After they left, I closed my door and pulled out the dress I had gotten the day I went shopping with Edward. I carefully put it on, but had a little problem with the zipper and left it undone knowing that Rose would help me with it. I grabbed the champagne colored stilettos and stepped into them so I could get used to their height before I had to walk much.

When I was done getting dressed, I made my way over to the dresser and pulled open the top drawer which stored the gift I had received. I grabbed the box and opened it carefully, removing the diamond encrusted butterfly pendant from the light blue velvet box which held it. As I caressed it gently in my hand, I wondered why the person who sent it chose to do it so cryptically.

I was pulled out of my musing over the necklace by a voice as my door was opened.

"Hey Bells, is everything okay?" Rose questioned cautiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nervous over tonight and wondering if I should wear this." I looked at her as I dangled the necklace in the air.

"Well you look absolutely lovely and I think that would be the perfect finishing touch."

"Really? What about if James asks about it?"

"Don't worry about that Hun. I'm sure he will think it is stunning, and if you want, just tell him you borrowed it from me or that it was a gift from my parents. Trust me; what he doesn't know won't hurt him." She smiled and took the necklace from me. "Would you like me to put it on for you?"

"Yes please," I responded, and then looked at myself in the mirror as she clasped it in place and it fell to sit perfectly in the hallow of my neck.

As I raised my hand to lightly run my finger across it, Rose finished zipping me up and then whispered in my ear, "Simply perfect."

We both smiled at each other and Rose grabbed my hand to lead me into the living room. When we got there, Alice was by the door letting Edward and Emmett in, and then the phone rang.

Rose answered the phone and then responded, "Sure, let him know we will be down in a few minutes." She hung up and then turned to us. "Hey guys, that was Ben. He called to let us know that James and the limo are waiting for us down stairs."

"Really? He's not coming up to get his date?" Edward grumbled under his breath, "That's not how you treat a lady."

I walked over to him and placed my hand gently on his forearm. "Don't worry about it. He normally does come up. There must be something he is doing and just doesn't want us to be late."

"Okay, you heard the lady…our ride has arrived it's time to get this party started," Emmett bellowed in his typical fashion.

With that, Alice grabbed her shawl and headed into the hall. Emmett grabbed Rose's hand, as she grabbed her wrap and purse off of the table by the front door. This left Edward standing by the door looking at me. I went to the closet and grabbed my coat. When I turned toward the door, I saw Edward staring at me.

He walked forward and took my coat from me, "Here, let me help you with that."

"Thank you, but you don't need to."

"Bella, that's what a man does for a lady. My mother would never let me hear the end of it if she was here."

"Okay." I turned around as he helped me put it on. I felt his fingertips lightly touch the top of my shoulders and jumped slightly as I felt a shot of electricity go through my body. "Oh, did you feel that? It must have been a static electricity?"

"Yes it must have been," Edward agreed, and then motioned to the door. "Shall we go Beautiful? Your chariot awaits."

**~o0o~**

When we arrived in the lobby, James stood there holding a huge bouquet of roses. I walked towards him and he moved forward to lean down to kiss me gently on the lips. "Hey babe, you look nice. I thought I'd bring you something to remember the night by," he blurted out as he handed me the roses.

"Thanks. That was really sweet of you, but why didn't you bring them up?"

"Because I invited Victoria to ride with us tonight and picked her up first and I didn't want her to be waiting alone."

"Oh…so where is she?"

"She's in the car. I came in as the elevator doors opened a few minutes ago. I thought it would be you, but it was some other people. Since I was already inside, I just decided to wait."

"Well, thanks again," I stated then walked over and handed the roses to Ben. "Do you think you could hold on to these until I get back tonight?"

"Sure Bella," he responded with a slight smile.

"Thanks Ben."

"Well, look at this..." Emmett exclaimed as he opened the door. Outside sat a beautiful perfectly polished black stretch limousine.

I had personally never seen such a beautiful one before and certainly had never ridden in one.

"Hey, is everything alright Bella?" I turned and saw Edward looking at me with concern in his eyes.

"Umm...yes, why?"

"Well because you need to get into the limo if you want to ride in it." He smiled and gestured toward the door that was being held open by the driver.

"Oh, sorry," I responded and then carefully climbed in. Once inside, I saw Victoria sitting there holding a glass of champagne to her perfectly painted red lips. The dress she wore was black and silver and sparkled even under the somewhat tacky mood lighting inside the limo. Her red hair was perfectly coifed and when I looked down to her legs, they were beautifully toned and looked to be over a mile long and were finished off with very high silver jeweled heels.

"Hi," I greeted her once I got inside. "I'm Bella. We were never introduced the day you were with James at the coffee shop"

"Oh yes, I thought you looked a little familiar. You look so different without your apron on," she seethed back at me.

"Victoria…," a low stern voice came from behind me.

"Oh Edward, I was hoping you would be coming with us tonight. Come over and sit down by me. We have so much catching up to do," she said as she patted the seat next to her. "You don't mind if he sits here do you…umm Bella… right?"

After she asked, I moved over some on the seat leaving room for Edward to sit down next to her as the rest of the group filtered in.

"Well, I see you couldn't wait until we were all here and you had to get into the champagne," James chuckled, and sat down at the complete opposite end of the limo.

"What did you expect me to do when you left me sitting in here all by myself?" Victoria sassily countered back.

Edward quickly jumped in, "Well it's no big deal. She let it breathe for us. Would anyone like a glass before we get moving?" He then started to pour a glass for everyone as he moved around the limo looking comfortable as he handed them out. When he approached James, he looked at him and encouraged, "Why don't you go sit by Bella and I'll sit here next to Alice? Victoria and I can catch up during cocktails at the gala."

"Well, thanks Eddie," James smirked as he grabbed his glass and moved over to sit between Victoria and I, and then raised his glass. "Here's to the first of many events like this."

The rest of the car ride was filled with conversation. I sat and listened as Victoria dominated the dialogue between her, James and me.

**~o0o~**

As we drove through the city I found myself looking out the window and admired the nighttime view. Even though it was a cold night, the city was alive with people milling about. As we drove down Michigan Avenue I watched as the white lights twinkled with a slight breeze that moved the branches of the trees. I felt in that moment that I was in a fairy tale. We took a slight detour once we got past the river onto Lakeshore Drive and as I looked out over the lake again I realized how much I loved this city and hoped that I would always call it home.

A few moments later, I was pulled out of my trance as we arrived in front the Art Institute. Even though I spent many days here working, that night it just looked and seemed very different. There was a line of limousines waiting to pull up to a covered walkway which had been put in place over the stairs for the event. A red carpet had been laid and I could see women getting out in beautiful full length dresses, some even with trains attached. Once I realized we were going to be the next car to the carpet, I took a quick look at myself and hoped I had made the right decision on the dress. I looked up and noticed out of the corner of my eye that Edward was looking at me and smiling. It was as if, in some way, he was trying to calm my nerves.

The next thing I knew, the door to the limo was opened and we departed our car in pairs. Emmett had a tight grasp on Rose's hand while Edward offered his arm to Alice. Once James had helped me out, he turned to offer a hand to Victoria. She immediately linked her arm with his as he grabbed mine, and led us both up the stairs and into the lobby. Once inside, we were greeted by servers with trays of various types of wine, champagne and hors d'oeuvres. I felt a little strange being there as I looked around and saw celebrities, sport figures, politicians and well known business people.

"Excuse me ma'am, may I take you coat?" a familiar voice said. I turned and saw Embry, one of my co-workers.

"No, you don't need to do that. I can put it in the coat room myself"

"Bella, you are a guest tonight. It's part of the deal, just let me take it for you."

"Well...," I started to say.

"Here you go boy, can you take this also?" James' voice interrupted as he shoved Victoria's shawl at him.

I looked over at Victoria as she gave a disparaging look to Embry. I slowly slipped my coat off and whispered, "Hey, I'm sorry about that."

"No problem Bella, you get used to it after a while. Most of the people at these types of functions are nice, but there are always a few who think they are better than us. Try to enjoy yourself. And I just wanted you to know, you look beautiful tonight."

Once Embry said those words, I felt the heat on my chest, neck and face which showed anyone who was looking that I was embarrassed. Quickly I turned toward James and grasped his hand in mine.

"Okay, so are you ready to go meet some people Sugar?"

"I guess so…" I squeaked out.

"Then let's get going. Are you coming with us Victoria?"

"No, I think I'll do a little catching up with Eddie over here."

As soon as the words spilled from Victoria's lips, James started to pull me towards the gallery where the cocktail reception took place. As we walked, I peaked back over my shoulder to take one last look as Victoria grabbed onto Edward's arm and then whispered something in his ear. The look on Edward's face told me he didn't feel very comfortable with her around.

James and I entered Gallery 116 where the exhibition was and he started to introduce me to people at a fast pace. I barely got out a few words before he moved us on to the next couple. Everyone knew who he was and he introduced me simply as the love of his life. A few times I was pretty sure he said fiancé. The greetings were an introduction, followed by a hand shake and a superficial question before James would excuse us and move on. This saddened me some as the galleries we were in house a private collection which I had hoped to show James so he could see a side of me he didn't know. But I knew I was his guest and that there were many influential people here so I just smiled and followed his lead.

"Bella is that you?"

I recognized the voice and turned to see a strikingly handsome couple of in front of me. She was wearing a beautiful full length dark blue beaded dress while he was in a smart black tux and looked like a blond haired James Bond.

"Mrs. Cullen?" I blurted out loudly not remembering where I was. "You look amazing."

"Yes Bella, it's me. But I told you before, please call me Esme," she said as she walked forward and grabbed my hands. "I must say you look stunning this evening. The dress, your shoes, your hair and even this simple, yet beautiful necklace. I'm so glad you were able to attend."

"Thank you," I sheepishly responded and looked down to the ground.

"Bella, this is my husband, Carlisle. Carlisle this is Bella. She helped us pick out the perfect areas of the museum to use tonight."

"Bella, it's a pleasure to meet you. My wife hasn't stopped talking about you since she met you," Carlisle commented as he extended his hand to mine.

"Well thank you, it was an honor to help Mrs…I mean Esme, with this event."

"Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen, I see you've met my girl here," James interjected after he noticed I wasn't with him anymore.

"Yes, actually I met Bella a few weeks ago when your mother and I were here to finalize plans. You do know that Bella helped us with the final decisions on where to hold the event within the museum?"

"No, I had no idea. But that's my girl." He leaned in and kissed me.

"Oh look James; I see your parents have just arrived."

As Esme spoke those words, I felt the knots immediately in my stomach. James' mom was going to finally meet me. I wondered if I would live up to what I expected to be very high standards.

**_

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**Welcome to my new readers and all those who have recently put me or the story on alert... I hope you are enjoying the ride so far.**

**So how many of you guess that necklace was in the box? A number of you who reviewed were close in one way or another. **

**My question is this time is what do you think James parents are going to think about Bella? You can leave me your thoughts when you leave a review and remember all reviews also get a teaser.**

**I have signed up and will be contributing an Outtake for the Fandom for Floods campaign to help the Flood victims in Australia. If you would like to contribute you can find out more at fandomsfightthefloods(.)blogspot(.)com just remove the () marks when you copy and paste it into your browser.**

**I will be being interviewed for a podcast on Fandomspotlight(.)blogspot(.)com on January 21st... If you would like to submit a question to be asked either about the story, my view on something in the fandom or about me... Please forward your questions to fandomspotlightgmail(.)com as always just remove the () The OT that I will be contributing is thoughts from Rose's point of view. I know you all wonder why Rose hasn't said anything to Bella about James. The OT is written and my prereader says it will answer a lot of your questions...so if you can please contribute. I will be able to post it but not until after June 1st.**

**Thanks again for reading and supporting my story. I can honestly say this is one of the best and most rewarding experiences of my life**

**I have the next chapter outlined and hope to have it written soon. I plan on posting within the next two weeks of sooner.**

**~ChiTwiGal**


	19. Chapter 19 Meet the Parents part two

** Well I didn't make my goal of two weeks but I did do it in three. Sorry about that but my RL continues to spin all day every day for over 7 weeks now.**

**I need to apologize to all those who reviewed. I actually forgot to send teasers out this time. I'm sorry about that and promise it will NEVER happen again.  
**

**I promise that I am trying to get the chapters out as quickly as possible and appreciate you sticking with me through this.**

**A great friend 84Gemma has made a polyvore which is related to this chapter & the lastt one... Go take a look if you want to see what Bella is wearing & her gift. You can find it at:**

**http:/www(.)polyvore(.)com/cgi/set?id=28068710 just remove the () marks when you copy and paste it into your browser.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... ****But the story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You  
**

**Special thanks go out to the most fantastic beta in the world Mommakal. My ****prereaders, Basketgirl, NJNYTwigal-H, TG10781 & HongKongPhooey thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to give me your input. All of you are very special to me in more than just this fandom... I love all to death.**

**Finally I want everyone to know that I wrote an OT from Rose's POV for FandomFightsTheFloods. If you haven't donated already please go and for as little as $5AUS you can get over 100 OS, OT or original shorts from many fandom authors including mine! Got check it out at www(.)Fandomsfightthefloods(.)blogspot(.)com  
**

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**Chapter 19 – Meet the Parents (part two)**

I finally gathered enough nerve and looked over at James' parents who were walking in our direction. His mother was in a long sleek black gown. As she walked, she held her nose high in the air and pressed her lips into a straight line and looked slowly back and forth through the crowd as if she was giving everyone a look that said, 'you know I am better than all of you. I'll address you if I think you are worthy.'

His father, on the other hand, shook hands and greeted people as if they were old friends. It was what I would have expected to see, as if he was at one of his political fundraisers.

While I observed them I fiddled with my purse. My eyes constantly looked down and around as if I was searching for something, or someone, to come and save me from the impending introductions.

"Oh, Edward look whose here," a rather nasally, over-excited voice practically screamed in my ear. When I looked up, there she was in all her sparkly glory...Victoria. "Come on. We need to go say hello since I'm sure they don't know you have moved back into town yet."

"Umm…I never moved out of town Victoria." He rolled his eyes as he passed and then gave me a small smile which helped to somewhat calm my nerves.

My eyes followed their movement. I was startled as I felt lips whisper close to my ear, "Hey Sugar, don't be nervous. My mom's bark is worse than her bite," he chuckled and then continued, "At least I think it is since I've never actually been on the receiving end of it."

"Oh…" was all I was able to say before James had grabbed my hand and started moving us towards his parents. In fact, he moved me so quickly that I began to lose my balance. I was saved by a familiar touch who grabbed my elbow to keep me upright as a jolt of electricity traveled through my body. "Thanks," I said quietly to my savior.

"Bella, just relax. You have nothing to worry about." I knew that smooth voice. It was the same one who earlier in the night had told me how beautiful I looked, and the one that always seemed to be there when I needed a little more self confidence.

I looked up and smiled lightly, "Thanks Edward." He let go of my elbow just as I heard an unfamiliar voice.

"There you are son. Your mother and I were wondering where you were. We actually expected to see you waiting for us in the lobby."

"Sorry dad. Bella here, seemed excited to get the evening going," James explained. "And I was able to work the room some and think maybe we will have some new donors by the end of the night."

"Son, this is a fundraising event for a great cause and not a fundraising event for us." His father leaned in to shake James' hand and then lowered his tone so his voice didn't carry, "You need to understand when you want to just get people's support and not into their wallets."

"Thanks, I'll remember that in the future," James assured him.

"No problem son…I know you're learning and that's all that really matters if you want to follow in my footsteps one day." He laughed quietly as he leaned back and looked towards me. "So, are you going to tell me who this charming young lady is who seems to be holding onto your hand as if her life depended on it?"

"Dad, this is Bella." James gestured toward me with his free hand, "Bella this is my father, Aro Volturi."

Aro extended his hand towards mine as if to shake it. I extended mine but was surprised when he grabbed it and placed a gentle kiss on the top of it instead. With that simple, yet very formal, gesture I felt the heat begin to cover my chest and face knowing that my blush had come out in its full glory.

"It's a pleasure to…" I began, before I was cut off.

"Ms. Swan, is that you?" a cruel voice I had heard before caught my attention.

I pulled my hand away briskly and clutched my purse with both hands before I looked up to see her staring at me. "Ummm yes... it is Mrs. Volturi. It's very nice to see you again."

"What are you doing here? Did you think that just because you would be escorting our guests to the dinner venue that you had the right to attend the event as if you were an invited guest?"

"Jane, keep your voice down. It's not what you think." A firm male voice interrupted her.

I felt a gentle touch on the small of my back and looked up to see Carlisle Cullen standing next to me as Esme flanked his other side.

"Mom, you know Bella?" James questioned.

"Of course I do, James. Bella works for the museum and is here to help coordinate the movement of our guests this evening to the Stock Exchange Trading Room where dinner is being held."

Just as she finished speaking, Carlisle cleared his throat and glared at Jane as Esme motioned to James with her head to do something about the situation.

"Umm…Mom, you have it all wrong. Bella is not here tonight as an employee. Bella is the girl I've told you about," he stuttered somewhat as he spoke. "You remember... my girlfriend." The last part came out more like a question then a declaration.

"Oh...," was all she said before she turned her attention to the Cullen's. "Carlisle, Esme, it's so nice to see you this evening. Everything looks like it is in perfect order, doesn't it Esme?"

"Yes it does. Bella did not disappoint us?" Esme remarked as she looked apologetically at me for the exchange that had just taken place.

"It is a wonderful event in a wonderful setting," Carlisle interjected. "Bella, please make sure you pass my compliments on to all of those involved. I'll also be sending an email to those I know on the board of directors letting them know how well everything was done also."

"Thank you," I said quietly as I looked at both of them and felt James grab my hand once more.

"Well, I think it's time to introduce my girl here to more of the people she needs to know." He squeezed my hand and then pulled me against his side. "What do you say babe, shall we?"

Before I could answer, I was whisked away into a sea of people feeling grateful that I had been removed from that situation, but still unsure of what exactly happened.

_Why would she immediately assume I was just crashing and not an invited guest? Was she really that shallow? Why was it that the Cullen's had to step in before James said anything? Why didn't his father say anything? He was right there, or was he?_

We stepped into the next gallery and James released my hand, grabbed me around the waist, and turned me so that I looked directly into his eyes. He then leaned down and gently kissed my lips. The blush that had just left came back in full force as I knew we weren't alone and that others must be watching.

His kiss moved from my lips to my cheek and then to just behind my ear. "Sugar, I'm so sorry about that back there. My mom didn't mean anything by it." He kissed me one more time on the cheek before he pulled back and looked me in the eye. "But why didn't you tell me you had met my mother?"

"Well…I…I'm not sure," was all I could come up with because I knew down deep inside I didn't want to admit the real reason why I hadn't said anything.

"Really? We'll talk about this later then," was his response. He grabbed my hand again and moved us from group to group, introducing me and as he networked the room like he had earlier in the evening.

The next half hour passed by quickly and before I knew it, I heard the bells chime to alert the attendees that it was time to head into the Stock Exchange Trading Room for dinner service.

"Excuse me, I just want to go and make sure that the volunteers I arranged to be here tonight are doing what is expected of them. I'll meet you at the entrance to the room." I cautiously said and then leaned in to give James a quick peck on the lips. There was no way I was going to let anything go wrong, although I had planned on doing this even before James' mother had treated me like hired help.

**~o0o~**

All of the volunteers pulled off the plan flawlessly and I found myself joining the last group of guests as they passed through the final gallery before they entered the Stock Exchange Trading room. I paused briefly and caught a glimpse of the beautiful Chagall windows and reminded myself to bring James out here after dinner. I wanted to see if he would enjoy them as much as I did.

As I approached the entrance to the room, James stood just inside the door as he made small talk with the other guests as they entered.

"There you are... finally," James declared with some bitterness in his voice. "Bella, you didn't need to go do that. I hope my mother or others in attendance didn't see that you were helping out. Certain things are expected out of the Volturi's and being part of the employed help is not something that others expect from us. We are better than that."

I was caught off-guard by James' comments, causing me to be confused and conflicted. His mother thought I wasn't an invited guest and implied that things better not go wrong this evening. James, however, thought it would embarrass his family if others knew that I worked at the museum and had been instrumental in certain events that had taken place this evening.

He directed me to our table where I let out a sigh of relief when I realized we were not sitting with his parents. As I looked around I saw familiar faces as they smiled at me.

"Hey B, I thought we were going to have to send a search party out for you." Emmett chuckled, "I didn't think you would be the one getting lost tonight and all since this is practically your crib."

"I wasn't lost. I was help..."

"She was using the restroom," James immediately interrupted me before I could finish. "Here Sugar." He said as he pulled the chair out for me.

"So, James why is it that you call Bella 'Sugar'," Alice asked, "Is it because she is sooo sweet?"

"Alice!" Rose reprimanded her. "Stop it. Drop it now. We can talk about this later."

"Aww…come on Rosie, you know you are just as curious as I am."

"Alice, please not tonight." I begged, knowing that Alice had had too much to drink and wouldn't be saying this if it wasn't for the cocktails.

"Sure, _Sugar_," she teased.

"Bella, my mom said you helped out with planning and preparations for the event," Edward quickly changed the subject. "I just want you to know how impressed I am with the whole event so far. You're very good at what you do."

As Edward spoke I had lowered my eyes to gaze down at my hands which sat on my lap. I felt that familiar heat and mumbled, "Thank you," as I looked up from under my lashes and lightly smiled at him. He had the knack of knowing whenever I needed some reassuring and knew how to say _just_ the right thing.

After that the rest of the dinner went on without a hitch. The only thing that could have been better was if I did not have to watch Victoria hang all over Edward as if he was her date. She kept putting her hand on his forearm or leaning her head on his shoulder. Each time she would try to make further advances, I noticed how Edward would move his attention to someone else or physically move himself further away from her. She didn't seem to get the hint, and I might have been wrong but it seemed like James had encouraged her to keep it up by encouraging her with subtle hand gestures and looks.

Once they cleared our plates for dinner and were about to bring dessert, I decided I was going to take a quick trip to the ladies room to freshen up.

"Excuse me James, I'll be back in a minute," I said as I moved my chair back away from the table and stood up.

"Okay babe, I'll be here waiting for you." He said quickly and then went back to the conversation he was having with Victoria and Emmett.

"Do you mind showing me where the restrooms are?" Edward said as he stood from his chair and then moved around the table to offer me his arm.

"Sure, they're right by where I am going and then you won't get lost." I cracked a smile and looked in Emmett's direction to see if he had heard what I said. Much to my disappointment, when I looked back it didn't seem as if any of them had even noticed either of our departures. Emmett, Rose and Alice were laughing about something and James had turned himself away from the direction Edward and I were headed.

We exited the room and entered the gallery outside. I felt Edward place his hand in mine and gently squeeze it. "Thank you for saving me. I don't think I could have kept myself from losing my cool when it came to Victoria's advances. I just don't think she understands that I was never interested in her in the past and that I am definitely not interested in her now." He explained as we made our way across to the other side of the gallery where the restrooms were located.

"I think that is what you were looking for." I pointed to a door a little to the left of where we were. "Mine is just right over here. When you're finished, just wait here as I wouldn't want you to get lost," I teased and let go of his hand to go take care of business.

**~o0o~**

"Did you see who James Volturi is with this evening?"

"Yes…Who is she? I've never seen her before."

"I don't know, but I heard that she works for the museum and his mother wasn't happy to see her in attendance."

"Oh, I can only imagine how she felt about that."

I couldn't believe what I had heard. There were some unknown women talking about me as they were using the restroom. I stood there and listened as they talked about how I wasn't part of the elite of the city, and there must have been some other reason why James would be interested in me. I was stunned and my feet froze as I to hear what they would say next. I wasn't sure what I should have done so I just stood there and waited, staring down at a piece of accent tile on the floor not having anywhere else to go. I heard the latch on one of the stalls click and waited to see what, if anything, would be said to me.

"Oh, hey there. I'm Jessica. You're here with James Volturi, right?" a woman around my age said, as she exited and headed over to wash her hands.

"Yes...that would be me. I'm Bella, Bella Swan." I extended my hand in Jessica's direction.

"Oh, that's nice," she responded and turned back in the direction of the other stall. "Hey Tanya, I'll be waiting outside for you." She grabbed the handle to the door and walked out, leaving me there still with my hand held out in the direction to where she was.

**~o0o~**

"Is something wrong?" Edward asked, as he was waiting for me as I opened the door leading back into the gallery.

"No, I'll be fine. I just don't think I'm meant to attend functions like these."

"Hey, now you stop that. What happened in there?" He grabbed me by the arm as I started to walk across the gallery to get back to James and let him know I wanted to leave.

"Nothing. I'll. Be. Fine."

"Bella, wait. I can tell something is bothering you. Won't you just tell me?" Edward begged as he grabbed my hand and turned me towards him. We stood in the lights shining through the Chagall windows to our side. "Did someone say something to you in there? I saw Jessica Stanley waiting outside for Tanya Denali, and they were whispering between each other when they left. If they said anything to you, I want to know. They are both stuck up bitches and have no right to judge people. The only reason they are here is because of who they fuck, not because they are anyone special."

"Oh, so is that how you feel about me? I'm only here because of who my boyfriend is and that I don't deserve to be here on my own," I spat back at him. "Because that was exactly the same thing I had to listen to the two of them say, but they didn't know I was there."

"No, Bella. That's not what I'm saying," He said, trying to back pedal but the damage was done. I felt tears begin to fall onto my cheeks. "Please don't cry Bella, I didn't mean it that way. Really... I didn't." He leaned in and with his thumbs wiped away the tears which had escaped my eyes and looked into them. "If anyone deserves to be here, it is you."

I closed my eyes as I felt his touch and could tell from the inflection in his voice that he hadn't meant it that way. I felt the urge to lean forward and possibly kiss him, but was startled by a voice.

"Edward Cullen, what the hell do you think you are doing with my girlfriend?"

* * *

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**~ChiTwiGal**


	20. Chapter 20 Going Home

**Thanks you for the great response to the last chapter. This chapter will move time along some and I hope you like it.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight but I do have tickets to Cubs spring training and I will be able to see my beloved Blackhawks while in AZ also... **

**The story line and plot is all mine...so that's your warning not to claim it as your own...and if you do I WILL find out...So please don't...Thank You  
**

**Special thanks go out to the most fantastic beta in the world Mommakal. My ****prereaders, Basketgirl, NJNYTwigal-H, TG10781 & HongKongPhooey thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to give me your input. All of you are very special to me in many ways... I love all to death.**

**Please look at the A/N at the end as there is some important information, thank you**

* * *

**Chapter 20 – Going Home**

Just as James had said the last words, I felt a set of gentle lips pressed against my forehead as my hands were squeezed by Edward. Feeling a stronger sensation than normal, I almost didn't want it to end. But it did end when he let go of me and James raised his voice even louder.

"Edward, I asked you what you were doing with my girlfriend?"

Edward turned around quickly and stood between James and me as if he was trying to protect me from him. "James, chill out. Bella was upset over something she heard Jessica and Tanya say about her while she was in the restroom. All I was trying to do was to be a friend and calm her down before she returned to the other room."

"Why didn't you just come get me?" James inquired as he moved to Edward's side and looked at me.

"And leave her here by herself? What if Jessica or Tanya would have come back or someone else would have said similar things without knowing Bella was around? You should have been more attentive to her when she left. Didn't your mother teach you to watch over those you love?" Edward barked through gritted teeth, while keeping his voice low so only James and I could hear him.

"Well I'm here now Edward, so you can go. I'll take care of it, right Sugar?" James grabbed my hand as he pulled me into his side and placed a light kiss on my temple.

I looked up and saw Edward walk away with his shoulders slightly hunched over, as if in defeat. I then looked at James who sported a smug look, like he had just won some type of competition.

"James, please don't be upset with Edward. He truly was just trying to be there for me as a friend," I explained with the hope that I could move on from the two incidents which just happened.

"Bella, don't kid yourself," James began, "He had other ideas, I'm sure. He's always tried to move in on my girls. Even back in high school, he was never able to get what he wanted and had to find excuses to try to move in."

"Can we just stop talking about this? Nothing happened. He was just trying to be a friend and I would just like to leave now."

"Bella, we can't just leave. My mother is in charge of the event and President of the board. People would wonder why."

"But…James…," I stuttered, "You didn't hear what they said about me. They said things that weren't true. They said I didn't deserve to be here. That I wasn't part of this crowd." The more I said, the more tears escaped from my eyes and the harder it became for me to hold back breaking down. All the comfort which Edward had provided seemed like it was being sucked out of me.

James grabbed me by my shoulders and shook them gently while he looked me directly in the eyes. "Pull yourself together. If we are going to make this work long term, you are going to have to learn to stick up for yourself and show others that you are better than they are. You are with me so that automatically will put a target on your back because they all want what you have. Can't you see that? Now go and clean your face up while I wait here for you."

"Okay, just give me a few minutes." I walked back into the ladies room, stepped into a stall until I could get my breathing back to normal and then fixed my make up before returning to James who stared at the Chagall windows.

"I think I'm better now," I whispered into his ear as I stood up on my toes. "So, aren't they beautiful?"

"They're fine. I just don't get why everyone thinks they are such a big deal. All they are is a bunch of stained glass." I felt some of the courage I had just mustered up drain from me.

"Oh…Well then I guess we should get back so no one wonders where we are." I grabbed his hand and followed him back into the Stock Exchange Trading room. I made sure to stay by his side the rest of the night with the hopes that would show the others there that I did belong.

**~o0o~**

The next few weeks were interesting to say the least. I continued to see Edward regularly at the coffee shop but he stopped coming out when James and I met up with the others. On the rare occasion that James wasn't around, Edward always seemed to be able to join us at the last minute.

During that time everyone was busy. The holidays were just around the corner. I found myself working as much as I could to get some extra money for gifts. James was busy helping his dad raise money for his campaign for the upcoming election in February.

As I looked back, it just seemed like something had changed after we all attended the Gala. James was more attentive; no matter where we were he would hold my hand or have his arm around me and pulled into his side. When I wasn't working he took me to events for his father. He always told those we met that I was the one for him and that there would never be anyone else in the world.

One night on the rare occasion when neither of us had anything to do, we sat on the couch to watch a movie.

"So Sugar, what are you planning on doing for Christmas?"

"Umm, probably what I always do. I'll leave around noon on Christmas Eve and take the train to my dad's. We will spend Christmas Day with the Blacks and then just relax until Rose and Alice come for some rest in the country between then and New Years day. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was hoping you would spend the holiday with my family?" It seemed to be more of a statement then a question.

"Really?" I inquired, somewhat surprised. _Why would he want me to spend time with him and his family when his mother obviously doesn't care for me._ "I don't know if I can do that. It's been so long since I've seen my father. I wasn't able to go see my father for Thanksgiving due to them being short handed at the shop." I looked over at James and saw a frown on his face.

"I've got an idea. Why don't you come with me? You need to meet him anyway and you could use a break." I smiled and bounced some as I thought about how much fun it would be for him to see where I grew up and that side of me.

"Bella, I can't be away that week. The race is starting to heat up and my father needs me to handle his day to day business so he can focus on campaigning. You need to be more aware of what is going on with it. There are only two months until Election Day." He said in a belittling tone.

"Sorry, it was just an idea," I whispered sheepishly. "But I do need to go see him. I'm all he has since my mother died. I just can't leave him alone for the holidays. I'm sorry, but I have to go. Is there any way you could come down just for one day even? I want you to meet him," I pleaded and looked up at him.

He looked down to me in return and softly smiled before he responded, "Sugar, you have no idea how much I would love to do that, but it's just not going to be possible. If it wasn't election season I would be there in a heartbeat. The minute the election is over we can go and see him, or better yet, we can take him on vacation somewhere. I know this whole election thing is new but in time it will become second nature to you." He then leaned down and gently captured my lips with his.

The rest of the night I spent wrapped safely in his arms as he talked to me about our future. I couldn't believe that he had actually looked that far ahead since I had only known him for three months. He talked about his aspirations to follow in his father's footsteps to become the mayor of Chicago. He hoped one day the city would be his. He wanted everyone to know that I was his. He wanted me to be the best known woman in the city and to show the others how I belonged.

It was hard for me to wrap my head around what he was saying. _Why me? Why not someone else? I wasn't high society, I wasn't that pretty and I wasn't from the city._

**~o0o~**

The morning of Christmas Eve, I woke up early for my shift at Uncommon Grounds with James' arms draped over me. James had spent the night again using the excuse that he wouldn't see me for the next seven days. I tried to move slowly and get out of bed without disturbing him. He made a quick movement and hugged me tighter. He then peppered my neck with gentle kisses. Every time he stayed, he would make it harder for me to get out of bed and get ready for work by kissing me or keeping me in a tight hold. I understood that he didn't want me to go, but it annoyed me some. He knew I had to get to work and that I would have gladly stayed if I could.

"Sugar, where do you think you're going?"

"I have to get ready for work James...you know that."

"Just call in sick babe, or if you don't want to do it, I'll do it for you. I just can't let go of you now knowing I won't see you until you get back on New Year's Eve," he whined into my ear. Then he gently sucked my earlobe into his mouth which was something he knew I enjoyed.

Since I had decided to go to see my father, we had compromised that I would be back for New Years Eve and James promised to host a party for our group of friends at his place. He even promised that Edward would be invited. I had figured as much since Tanya was also on the guest list.

"Babe, you know I need to go. I need to open and it's not fair to Angela since I will be gone, and she will have to both open and close during those days."

"Okay then," he huffed as he grabbed the blanket and pulled them off of me in a dramatic fashion. "You go and have a good time at work while I lay here all alone in this nice warm bed."

I sat up on the side of the bed and leaned back to kiss his cheek. "You have a good day yourself. I'll see you on the thirty first. Oh, and your Christmas gift will be waiting for you on the table by the door."

I started to stand and he grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him, kissing me hard. "Sugar, I don't have yours with me and I thought we would open them together when you got back."

"If that's what you want then we can do that, but I wanted you to have something from me to open on Christmas morning. It's your choice on if you actually open it or not." I gave him a quick peck on the lips and got out of bed.

**~o0o~**

Christmas Eve with my dad was like it had always been. We went to evening service and then went to the Chinese restaurant to pick up dinner. _I know, Chinese for Christmas Eve dinner... it became our tradition since I never get home on time to make dinner and it was the only thing open_.

Christmas day was spent at the Black's. Sue and Billy were like an aunt and uncle to me and Jake, their son, was like the little brother I never had. It was always a little awkward since my father and Billy had always hoped Jake and I would marry one day. They hoped their two farms would merge, resulting in the biggest farm in the county.

On Christmas day, I received a number of text messages with holiday greetings and sentiments. Rose, of course, was the first. She sent it right after she got up and opened the surprise I had left for her. It was something small, but I knew that both she and Emmett would enjoy it.

Alice was next. Instead of one text message she sent me five, because there was no way Alice could say anything in less than 100 words.

Then once they were both at the Cullen's, I got messages from Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Carlisle and Esme. I couldn't believe in such a short period of time how close I had gotten to them all.

Finally around five o'clock, just as we headed back to my father's house my phone vibrated again. I fetched it quickly from my pocket and looked down at the screen and saw a number I didn't recognize.

**_Merry Christmas B ~_**

**_I hope that Santa brought you everything you had hoped for this year. If not, there is a little something that was sent to your father's house that should have arrived by special carrier while you were gone._**

**_~E_**

_Was this the same 'E' who had sent me gifts before? What did he mean by special carrier? It was Christmas no one worked on Christmas. How did he know where my father lived? How did he know that we were gone?_

We walked up to the front door. There sitting on the porch was a plain brown box addressed to a Ms. Isabella Marie Swan. The return address was Tiffany & Co., Chicago, IL.

Once I saw where it was from, my heart started to race. _Why did he send me a gift again? Why was he still in the background and not introducing himself to me? What if James found out? How many of these gifts could I keep from him?_

**~o0o~**

The following afternoon Alice and Rose arrived and informed me that the boys would be here within the hours also.

"Bella, I hope you don't mind but Emmett kept complaining that he couldn't live five days without his Rose fix. He gave me those puppy dog eyes and you know I can never say no to those."

"Then Jasper chimed in telling me that he never gets to see me because he's on the road so much, so since Emmett was coming I figured what the hell," Alice spewed out before I could even comment on Rose's revelation.

"That's fine you guys. I'm sure my dad will love having a couple of extra guys around. But you know he's old fashion so the guys will be sleeping in separate rooms from us." I chuckled as I saw the looks on their faces. It was if I had taken away their favorite toy they had gotten as a child for Christmas. "Come on, let's go and get the blow up mattresses set up in the spare room."

About an hour later I heard a car pull up and then the slamming of doors. Not two, but three. _Did they bring someone else with them?_ I walked over to the front door to see and opened it.

"Hey there Bella, happy day after Christmas!" he exclaimed before pulling me into one of his amazing hugs.

"Edward…I didn't know you were coming also."

"He didn't either until he came back from his run this morning." Emmett said interrupting us, "Now how about you let her go Edward and let me give my little sister here a Christmas hug."

"Sure bro, I'll go help Jasper get the bags from the car."

About fifteen minutes later the car was unloaded. They had brought enough food and beer as if the apocalypse was about to happen. In addition to food, they brought an outdoor fire place, sleeping bags, tents and other things.

"Did you guys think my father owned a one room home and that we didn't have indoor plumbing?" I questioned and giggled as they started to place everything onto the porch.

"No Bella Boo, we just didn't want to look like we were imposing," Emmett said as he bumped shoulders with me.

"Well you won't need much of that stuff since Rose and Alice are just finishing setting up the spare room which is where you will be staying. They'll crash in my bedroom with me." I said matter of fact as Edward started to laugh.

"I told you guys there was no way you were going to live out your fantasy of having sex with your girls in their best friend's parent's house. Now pay up!"

"Sorry guys, but that's the way it's gonna be and don't even think of trying to sneak off somewhere or you might end up with a shot gun up your ass." As I finished I took one look at Edward and started to laugh more than I had in months. Emmett and Jasper looked twice as disappointed as Rose and Alice did when I informed them of the news. Once Edward and I were able to catch our breath we moved the food and beer into the house as Emmett and Jasper put the other stuff back into back of Emmett's Explorer.

**~o0o~**

Emmett stayed true to his word and cooked dinner. He banished us all from the kitchen since he was making his secret chili recipe. The five of us, along with my father, decided to play a friendly game of cards.

Once the chili was done, we sat around the dining room table and enjoyed the meal he had prepared. We talked about so many different things, but most of all we laughed. My father enjoyed sharing embarrassing stories about me growing up while the guys enjoyed doing the same about each other.

The girls helped me with the dishes and the guys went into the family room and began to watch one of the college bowl games. Just as Rose had dried the last dish and put it away, I heard what sounded like the slamming of a car door outside.

At that instant my heart sank. _It couldn't be could it?_

* * *

**Who could it be? I wonder...**

**Hopefully you all enjoyed the update. If you did or didn't the way to let me know is by leaving a review.  
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**~ChiTwiGal  
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